Indiana is marching towards a perfect finish. The Hoosiers registered their 10th of the season, defeating Penn State 27-24. This is their second straight ten-win season under Curt Cignetti. Despite a big win, Cignetti was warned of the arising concerns moving forward.

On the November 8th episode of See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack, the CFB legend alerted Curt Cignetti about Indiana’s arising injury concerns. Pollack stated the importance of Elijah Sarratt and the offensive line’s health, and how it could affect his QB and their national title run. “The health of [Elijah] Sarratt is big time. Need to get him healthy,” David Pollack said. “The offensive line needs to continue to get healthy to protect [Fernando] Mendoza.” 

“But Mendoza, doing it without all the supporting cast, you’ve got to say Mendoza is the frontrunner for the Heisman after watching that today, I mean, he is for me. Just to endure all that, to have the guys in, to come up clutch in a tough environment where he was getting hit a bunch.” Pollack further added. 

On seeing Fernando Mendoza perform without any support against Penn State, Pollack made him his top pick for the Heisman trophy. However, he noted that Mendoza was hit a few times by the Nittany Lions’ defense. Since Mendoza plays an integral part in the Hoosiers’ run to the national title, the Hoosiers must protect their star QB.

Pollack also explained why injuries are a major concern for Cignetti. He spoke about how Elijah Sarratt was promising on the receiver end, especially in the red zone. Against Penn State, the Hoosiers’ struggles with passing yards were evident, and they nearly lost the game if Cooper hadn’t tapped his toe for a touchdown in the last drive.

“Indiana’s injuries are a real thing now. Like those are things that we’re going to start to keep an eye on that are parts of the game. Because Sarratt is the game-changer, Sarratt’s back-shoulder ball is undefeated. Like it’s not going to lose very often, and so when they get near the red, that’s such a dirty play, and it’s such an in-play.”

The CFB legend then sent a message to Cignetti, “You better find something to do with this play, and they’ve kind of got that in their back pocket with the timing, and so I think they’re going to need that, obviously, to win a championship.”

Curt Cignetti should ensure Elijah Sarratt’s health

Indiana’s WR Elijah Sarratt is dealing with a hamstring injury after leaving Maryland. He was listed as a game-time decision for the Hooisers for the week 11 game against Penn State. However, he wasn’t able to make it to the game, struggling with running during the warmups.

Sarratt is one of the promising talents on the receiving end. At 6-foot-2, 209 pounds, Sarratt is known for his toughness, play strength, and icy catch-point composure that takes his game to the next level. He is one of the most instinctive at the receiving end, controlling the catch-point positioning and body control, and has an incredibly sharp sense of timing. This allows him to bait defenders into playing specific leverage and capitalize.

In the eight games Sarratt played this season, he has been the go-to receiver for Mendoza, who logged 45 catches for 609 yards and scored 10 touchdowns, and maintains an average of 13.5 yards per carry. Throughout his collegiate career, he received 222 times and carried the ball for 3,457 yards for 39 touchdowns. His numbers prove why it is important for Curt to have an eye on Sarratt’s health.