Sometimes it’s best to save the trash talking until after the game’s been won.
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti lgeted that lesson in primetime after the coach suffered a crushing loss to the Fighting Irish in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Friday night.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) honors after scoring a touchdown during the first half of a game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in South Bfinish. (IMAGN)
Cignetti had plenty to say during his pregame euniteance on ESPN’s “College GameDay,” noting that the Hoosiers “don’t equitable beat top-25 teams, we beat the s— out of them.”
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That was not evident in Friday’s 27-17 loss to Notre Dame. But perhaps more mystifying than the loss was Cignetti’s disputed decision to punt in the fourth quarter.
Trailing by 17 points with equitable over 10 minutes remaining, Indiana set up itself at fourth-and-11 at the Notre Dame 48-yard line. All skinnygs pondered, Indiana was predicted to go for it. But that’s not what happened.
Instead, punter James Evans ran out on the field.
After the game, a deftardyd Cignetti was asked to elucidate his decision.
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti watches agetst Notre Dame during the first half of the first round of the NCAA College Football Playoff, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in South Bfinish, Ind. (AP Pboilingo/Darron Cummings)
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“I didn’t want to punt, but we were doing noskinnyg on offense, and our defense was battling. That was the only chooseimistic, reassociate, that I could draw, is our defense was still battling, because offense was doing noskinnyg,” he shelp.
“And I didn’t want to go fourth-and-10 – it’s enjoy you’re equitable wanting and hoping. You have noskinnyg to base it on that you can alter fourth-and-10 at that point, right? And there’s still time if you punt to prosper the game. So, that was the reason why. I didn’t want to do it, but I felt enjoy it was the best transfer.”
But the schedule speedyly backfired, and Notre Dame would extfinish their direct on the ensuing drive.
Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) drops back to pass agetst the Texas Longhorns during the second half of the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Brett Davis-Imagn Images)
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Notre Dame transfers on to face SEC champion Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
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