Seventy three to nothing. For Indiana, it was an all-out demolition that’ll live in Bloomington lore. Against Indiana State, the Hoosiers turned Memorial Stadium into a highlight reel, setting a new record for their longest home-winning streak at 11 straight. And Curt Cignetti wasn’t about to let that go unnoticed. Because when you throw the biggest blowout in 138 years of program history, your HC can afford to be a little generous. 

During his post game conference speech on September 12, Cignetti kept it simple. “I thought we did tonight what we wanted to do and I was pleased to see that and I didn’t see anybody relaxing at any point in the game, coaches and players,” he said. “And so coaches could use a day off or get one tomorrow. Players will get an extra day and then we’ll pick it up for the next one.” Blowouts earn holidays and for a locker room that just feasted, nothing tastes better than extra time off. And that’s motivation, wrapped in the blunt “Google me” swagger that’s made the Hoosiers’ HC one of the most quietly ruthless program builders in college football.

Of course, the reward only came after QB Fernando Mendoza lit up the scoreboard. The California transfer completed his first 14 passes, tossed five touchdowns in the first half, and left with a stat line that read 19-of-20, 270 yards, five TDs, and not a single throw after halftime. His favorite target for the game was Omar Cooper Jr., who tied James Hardy’s 2006 record with four touchdown catches, racking up 207 yards. The cherry on top is a 58-yard bomb from the QB’s brother Alberto. 

Indiana dropped 680 yards of offense. Indiana State barely scraped together 77. The Sycamores had just five first downs and their QB, Keegan Patterson, was left with 13 passing yards before mercifully exiting. Hoosier fans haven’t seen a score like this since 1901 when Franklin got hit with a 78-0 beatdown before most stadiums even had bleachers. While the scoreboard tells one story, the real magic happens in how Cignetti has reshaped Indiana football from the sidelines.

Curt Cignetti’s stamp in Bloomington

You see, Indiana hasn’t lost at home under Curt Cignetti since hiring him on November 30, 2023. He’s 11-0 at Memorial Stadium, 14-2 overall, and holds the fourth-best winning percentage among active FBS coaches. For a program that used to treat being nationally ranked like a foreign language, the Hoosiers have now spent 15 straight weeks in the Top 25. And that’s nothing less than a major cultural shift.

While the reward headlines stole the weekend, here’s the backstory fans forget. Curt Cignetti cut his teeth under none other than Nick Saban. He was Bama’s receivers coach and recruiting coordinator from 2007–10, helping haul in Julio Jones, Mark Ingram, and a 14-0 national title run in 2009. He’s got the Saban edge, but with a cool confidence that keeps his locker room loose. Now, in just 18 months, he’s turned Indiana into something fans never thought possible, a legitimate Big Ten threat.

And guess who’s rolling into town next? No. 9 Illinois. Primetime. Big Ten title vibes. Indiana’s one win over a Top 10 home opponent since 1967? Penn State in 2020. Next week, we find out if the streak survives Illinois or if Bloomington’s fairy tale runs headfirst into Big Ten reality.