FOOTBALL

Curt Cignetti won’t be surprised by Maryland QB Billy Edwards — and he has ‘total confidence’ the IU football defense will show up on Saturday

IU football is ready for another stiff test — a team that Curt Cignetti knows about, especially at the quarterback position.

Published

2 days ago

September 25, 2024

Alec Lasley

IU football is ready for another stiff test -- a team that Curt Cignetti knows about, especially at the quarterback position. (Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images)

There aren’t many times when you’re scouting a team for the first time as a head coach in a new conference where you already have great insight on an opposing quarterback. But for IU football head coach Curt Cignetti — that’s exactly the case.

IU football welcomes Maryland into Memorial Stadium on Saturday in the Big Ten home opener for the Hoosiers and taking snaps under center for the opposition is Billy Edwards Jr, a junior quarterback who has come into his own during his first year as the starting quarterback. And, this won’t be the first time Cignetti will see Edwards. In fact, it’s far from it. He was someone that Cignetti targeted as a top priority for their quarterback room at James Madison.

“I’ve known Billy Edwards for a while,” Cignetti said this week. “My first year at JMU, he was the guy we had targeted. I sat with his dad in my office a couple times. Started out at Wake Forest, then transferred to Maryland. You know, he can make all the throws. He’s got a lot of snaps under his belt. They’ll also run him, and obviously he’s a threat when he gets out of the pocket as well when he drops back and escapes the pocket. So he’s a very competitive guy with good arm strength, and good leader. And they like him, and I can see why.”

Edwards has thrown for 1,155 yards this season with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s also completing 75 percent of his passes.

He has thrown for at least 250 yards in every game this season and has just one game with a completion percentage of less than 74 percent (65.1 vs Virginia).

And, he has two lethal options on the outside in Tai Felton and Kaden Prather. Felton, however, is the player all eyes will be on for Indiana. He is second in the nation with 41 receptions, third with 604 yards and fourth with five touchdowns. Three of his four games this year have yielded at least nine catches, while every game he’s been over 115 yards.

Having the big play ability from Felton, in addition to a very consistent underneath receiver in Prather is a critical matchup for both of Indiana’s starting corners. On the season, Edwards has thrown 28 passes of at least 15 yards and nine of at least 25 yards.

“They’re very aggressive,” Cignetti said of Maryland. “It’s also going to be the best receiving corps we’ve seen up to this point. Probably the best quarterback we’ve seen up to this point. So it’s the best football team we’ve seen up to this point.”

On the flip side, Indiana’s defense has been extremely dominant for much of the season.

IU football is giving up just 9.3 points per game this season — seventh best in the country. It is also allowing opponents to throw for just 124.8 yards per game.

But, something will have to give on Saturday.

Cignetti, though, has ‘total confidence’ in his defense and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines.

“I always watch all three phases (of opponents). I watched all the Maryland’s games, obviously put a lot of time in the off-season into Maryland,” Cignetti said. “Once the week starts, I’m at the point now where I kind of let Bryant (Haines) go a little bit. I don’t look over his shoulder. There was a time I used to watch defensive practice, maybe make a few notes and call the staff in. Have not done that this year.

“Him and I did meet Sunday after the game, you know, about a few things defensively. But I have total confidence in him and the defensive staff that they’re going to put a great plan together, which gives us the best chance of being successful.”

While it’s a different quarterback under center for the Terps, Felton and Prather feasted against Indiana in 2023. Felton went for 134 yards and three touchdowns while Prather added 45 yards and one touchdown. It was a 44-17 beatdown for Maryland over Indiana.

While there are lots of changes on IU’s roster, Maryland still has a lot of similar faces who remember the Indiana of ‘old’.

But, Curt Cignetti is ready to once again show the New Indiana that has wrecked havoc all over the field to start 2024.

“You guys remember the game last year. It wasn’t much of a game,” Cignetti said. “So I’m sure they’re going to come in here pretty confident, and they’ve got a lot of the same guys. So looking forward to playing.”