During his second season as head coach for Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s football program, Curt Cignetti learned a lesson he’s held with him since.
After leading the Crimson Hawks to a 7-3 record in his first season in 2011, his squad began 2012 with two wins. Ranked No. 17 in the country, IUP hosted Lock Haven University, which entered the contest on a 44-game losing streak.
But Cignetti’s Crimson Hawks entered halftime with just a 7-0 advantage. Inside the Miller Stadium locker room Sept. 15, 2012, Cignetti developed an approach to delivering a halftime message after a mistake-filled first half.
Tell everyone to take a deep breath. To relax. To have fun. And to play the game one play at a time. It worked that day, as IUP won 42-0. Cignetti claims it’s always worked.
So, when Indiana entered its locker room at halftime Saturday inside Memorial Stadium in Bloomington with just a 3-point advantage over Wisconsin, now Indiana football head coach Cignetti didn’t veer from his standard — even after the “lethargic” half.
In turn, the Hoosiers responded with a “good” half, as they earned a 31-7 win over Wisconsin to improve to 11-0 for the first time in program history.
The Badgers began the game with a lengthy drive that chewed up nearly half the first quarter, but they missed a field goal. The Hoosiers then responded with a touchdown drive, as redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza found sophomore receiver Charlie Becker for a 31-yard touchdown.
But Indiana’s offense sputtered. Two punts followed. Then, Wisconsin scored its own touchdown to knot the game at 7. Redshirt sophomore kicker Nico Radicic tacked on a 37-yard field goal just before half, as the Hoosiers led by 3.
And that’s when Cignetti’s tried and true took over.
“Coach Cignetti is a fantastic coach, and he understands his players and his team,” Mendoza said postgame. “And he knows that we were a little lethargic, and we weren't playing our Indiana brand of football, especially offensively. So, he took us into halftime, told us to take a deep breath, to have fun, play football.”
The Hoosiers did just what Cignetti wanted. They scored 21 second-half points and allowed just 23 total yards across the final 30 minutes.
Indiana wasn’t in an unfamiliar position, however. Over the past two contests, the Cream and Crimson struggled in the first quarter against Maryland on Nov. 1, as it led by just 4 points after 15 minutes.
The Hoosiers responded with 13 points in the second quarter before eventually earning a 45-point victory.
Indiana found itself in an even more precarious situation last week versus Penn State. It trailed by 4 points with just under two minutes remaining, until Mendoza delivered a Heisman Trophy-level game-winning drive.
The Hoosiers have made necessary adjustments throughout several games this season to avoid losses. Mendoza and the offense bounced back against Iowa, then-No. 3 Oregon, Maryland and Penn State.
But Saturday, senior linebacker Aiden Fisher felt Indiana just started the game “flat.”
“We didn’t have a lot of energy,” Fisher said. “Some guys weren't ready to go, and I will take the blame for that. I don’t think I was ready to go. I think I could've had more energy and been more of a sparkplug for the team.”
Still, the Hoosiers made the necessary changes.
“I think that we're a great team at adjusting to whatever mistakes we made in the first half and how to improve on those in the second half,” Mendoza said. “And I think that really shows, the coaching really shows, especially in those first drives of the second half.”
It did against the Badgers. Mendoza orchestrated a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to open the third quarter, as he connected with senior tight end Holden Staes for a 2-yard score.
In all, Mendoza went a perfect 11 for 11 for 160 yards passing and three touchdowns in the second half. Mendoza’s fourth and final passing touchdown of the day surpassed former Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke for the most in a single season with 30.
“He's come such a long way since we got him from Cal (University of California, Berkeley),” Cignetti said. “But I still think that he's barely scratched the surface of his potential. I think that much of him.”
Cignetti said Mendoza has dedicated himself to the process of improvement since his arrival in Bloomington. First-year quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer has also accelerated Mendoza’s development, Cignetti said.
But Mendoza, who’s not one to take credit for his success, continued in his ways inside the weight room at the north end of Memorial Stadium.
“I mean, that's not a player stat,” Mendoza said. “It's more of a team and passing stat. I mean, think about all the receivers that we've spread the ball out to.”
Cignetti also said it’s not an accomplishment that happens “by yourself.” Still, Mendoza showed poise Saturday in Cignetti’s eyes.
But so did the Hoosiers — and it stemmed from Cignetti’s halftime approach.
Becker, who led the Cream and Crimson in receiving with five catches for 108 yards and a touchdown, said it’s “really good” to know the head coach still believes in his players despite their mistakes.
Cignetti got the Hoosiers back down to earth, Becker said.
It resulted in a dominant victory — Cignetti’s 22nd at the helm and 15th inside Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers still haven't lost at home under Cignetti.
Although Cignetti said the home fans provide at least a 14-point advantage in Bloomington, the Cream and Crimson “hope” Saturday was their final home contest of the season. Indiana has its eyes set on a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.
And those hopes still remain a strong possibility, thanks to Cignetti’s patented halftime approach: deep breaths, calmness and having fun one play at a time.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn
