Indiana, Curt Cignetti ripped for a surprising point decision in the College Football Playoff

On By Littum

Curt Cignetti entered Friday’s College Football Playoff opener with confidence and a brash attitude that his Indiana team could beat anyone.

But that attitude didn’t translate into play-calling, at least late in the game, in a 27-17 loss.

Down 20-3 with 10:34 left in the fourth quarter, Indiana faced a fourth-and-11 at the Notre Dame 48-yard line, and many, including ESPN’s broadcast booth, assumed the Hoosiers would push to go for it with their season on the line.


James Evans #94 of the Indiana Hoosiers hits the ball
James Evans of the Indiana Hoosiers passes the ball to Notre Dame on Friday night. Getty Images

But that was not the case.

Cignetti sent out punter James Evans, who sent the ball to the Fighting Irish 22.

“I don’t understand it at all. … He’s really turning it on,” play-by-play man Sean McDonough said. “It’s a head-scratcher for me.”

Well, if Indiana thought it could keep Notre Dame off the scoreboard and get the ball in favorable territory, it was proven wrong pretty quickly.


Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium.
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn photos

After a nine-play, 78-yard drive, quarterback Riley Leonard scampered in for a one-yard touchdown to help extend Notre Dame’s lead to 27-3.

The lackluster performance came after Cignetti told “College GameDay” that he doesn’t fear any top team.

“We’re not just beating top-25 teams, we’re beating the s–t out of them,” he said.

That was not the case on Friday night.

“They took it to us,” Cignetti said after the game. “They won, they deserve to win. We didn’t play our best game, but they had a lot to do with it tonight.”