Curt Cignetti and Indiana football ‘want the chip on their shoulder to keep growing’ during the bye week

The Indiana football program is currently in unchartered territory under Curt Cignetti.

Cignetti could not have dreamed of a better start to his tenure as head coach. After their 17-point victory over Northwestern, they head into the bye week 6-0 for the first time since 1967.

The hot start has led to Indiana football garnering praise and respect from the national media.

Despite that, Cignetti wants the chip on his team’s shoulder to keep growing over the bye week.

“We have an older team, I’m not really concerned about them reading about their accolades on social media and the paper because they’ve been around the block a little bit,” Cignetti said after the Northwestern game.

“They’ll be reading a lot about how we aren’t good enough to do this and that. I want the chip on their shoulder to keep growing.”

Indiana football was picked to finish 17th in the Big Ten in the preseason media poll, and their 6-0 start has shocked almost everyone outside of their locker room.

Cignetti has quickly changed the culture and mindset of the program and his players have fully bought into his energy.

“You just gotta understand that preseason they didn’t have us doing anything special or doing what we’ve done so far. You can’t lose sight of that just because people have their own opinions,” wide receiver Ke’Shawn Williams said after the win at Northwestern.

“Their opinions gonna change because if we go out there in two weeks and lose, they’re gonna say the old Indiana is back and they’re gonna have their opinions on now we’re no longer that good special team. So we can’t get caught up in opinions from outside what’s going on in house.”

The week off will give players the chance to rest and recover as they prepare for the final six games of the regular season.

The other benefit is it gives them an extra week to prepare for their hardest game to date against Nebraska who will come into the game 5-1 on the season. Nebraska also will be coming off of a bye week so it will be a big test for the program.

“Getting our bodies back healthy, but besides that just catching up on tape from cleaning up the tape in this game and get a head start on Nebraska,” Mikail Kamara said about how they will use the bye week. “Two-week head start on another team is big.”

Led by freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, the Cornhusker offense will give the Hoosier defense their hardest challenge to date. With the game likely being a featured matchup, it will give the program another chance to prove themselves on the national stage.

Like Cignetti, Kamara emphasized that being 6-0 is just the start for Indiana football.

“Right now this is not the goal, being 6-0 isn’t necessarily the goal. The goal is to go and try to win a natty,” Kamara said.

“So right now it’s great to be 6-0, especially going into the bye week. We’ll definitely enjoy it for sure, but once you come back we got to go and start over with Nebraska and keep the ball rolling. This is fantastic, but this is not the end.”

Cignetti has reiterated the importance of avoiding ‘self-imposed limitations‘.

He believes there is no reason why Indiana football can’t compete with the best programs in the country and that belief has clearly rubbed off on his players.

Cignetti also emphasized the importance of the break that the bye week gives.

“Everybody could use a day off. I think for the players it’s a good time to get rejuvenated a little bit,” Cignetti said. “We’ll use it constructively.”

While he did not say how much they’ll practice this week, it seems like it will be a lighter week than usual. 

The timing of Indiana’s bye weeks is also a massive benefit. 

After fall camp, Indiana had week zero off before the start of the season. They then get this bye week halfway into the season and their last bye week comes right before they play Ohio State.

“It is perfect, especially coming from fall camp, a whole month of football, and then another month of football, and then now we get a break, it’s kind of perfect to let your body reset,” Kamara said.

“Usually once your body gets to reset, now you probably play even better after this bye week, so that’s why I’m excited for it.”

While the week off will be a big boost for the Hoosiers, it also gives them the chance to clean things up and build on their start.

Kurtis Rourke emphasized the importance of staying consistent through the bye.

“Just staying consistent. Coach Cignetti talked about keeping that chip on the shoulder, I think that’s very important. We’ve had a great first half of the season, but we got a big second half as well,” Rourke said.

“So we gotta keep that chip on and know that there’s gonna be doubters no matter what and continue to come out ready to work and not get complacent.”

The lights have never been brighter for Indiana football than they will be for the final six games and this bye week will give them the chance to build on their start before hosting Nebraska.

SEE ALSO: Indiana football is done playing nice under Curt Cignetti

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