Curt Cignetti’s errant timeout backfired in key Indiana vs. Notre Dame

The Indiana Hoosiers’ debut in the College Football Playoff hasn’t gone as planned.

Although Indiana started the game with an interception on Notre Dame’s second play from scrimmage, the Fighting Irish took control by forcing their own turnover and haven’t looked back. The Hoosiers trailed 17–3 at halftime, and the second half wasn’t much better.

Still trailing by 14 midway through the third quarter, Indiana’s defense came up with a big stop on third-and-4 from the Hoosiers’ 6-yard line. It forced fourth down, and the Fighting Irish trotted out their field-goal unit to quickly switch to a crazy formation to run a trick play.

They didn’t get very far. Tight end Mitchell Evans took a direct snap and was stopped about two yards short, and it looked like Indiana would bring the ball back down by 14 points.

However, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti called a timeout before the ball was snapped. That gave Notre Dame another chance on fourth down, and Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman elected to kick a field goal for a 20–3 lead.

Incidentally, that drive was kept alive by a questionable late penalty on Indiana defensive lineman James Carpenter. It’s been that kind of night for Indiana.

Now, there’s certainly no guarantee that if Cignetti hadn’t called timeout, Indiana would have driven 90 yards down the field to make it a one-possession game. The Hoosiers haven’t done much on offense all night. But it was a big turning point in the game, one that has Notre Dame on the brink of a Sugar Bowl appearance against No. 2 Georgia on January 1st.