The 2024 Indiana football team, despite an unblemished 10-0 record—their first ever in school history—is still viewed by some as a modern-day version of the 1986 basketball movie Hoosiers, in which actor Gene Hackman portrayed a basketball coach leading a determined group of players to the Indiana prep state title. The 2024 football Hoosiers, however, are led by first-year coach Curt Cignetti, whose ambitions are set even higher.
With #2-ranked Ohio State set to host #5 Indiana this weekend, it marks the first time in Hoosier football history that the team finds itself in a top-5 matchup. The last time Indiana reached such elevated rankings was in 1967, when they achieved a #4 ranking. Many prognosticators underestimated Indiana in the preseason, placing them between 51st and 70th nationally.
Mark Deal, a 2013 Indiana State Hall of Fame inductee, serves as the Associate Athletic Director for Alumni Relations at Indiana University. He played (1975–78) and later coached the Hoosiers as an assistant. Deal attends daily practices, offering a former coach’s perspective, and has observed subtle reminders of the quiet inner confidence this team maintains.
“It’s a veteran group, 5th- and 6th-year seniors,” the former Hoosier center explained. “We were picked 17th in the Big Ten (out of 18). Players saw that. It was brought up during media day.”
Deal views Curt Cignetti, the 63-year-old head coach, as the right man for the job. Cignetti, who was named 2023 Sun Belt Coach of the Year at James Madison after compiling a 52-9 record (85.2%) during his tenure, arrived at Indiana to lead a team that had posted a dismal 3-24 Big Ten record and 9-27 overall record in the three seasons prior to his arrival. Cignetti introduced himself bluntly: “It’s pretty simple. I win, Google me.”
“He’s an old-school football coach,” Deal said. “He’s very friendly. He doesn’t blow his own horn on media platforms. He’s the son of a coach. He was a quarterback at West Virginia. He’s best at developing quarterbacks. He coached Philip Rivers, Russell Wilson (at North Carolina State). He’s developed Kurtis Rourke (Indiana’s quarterback).”
The transfer portal has been transformative for the program. Thirty new arrivals—eight starters on offense, eight starters on defense, plus a place kicker, deep snapper, kick returner, and punt returner—are all from the portal. Thirteen players followed Cignetti from James Madison.
“That’s the secret sauce,” Mark Deal continued. “Everybody brings in transfers, but Coach Cignetti has gotten them to buy in—first in the weight room, then on the field. He is very efficient in all aspects. He elevated talent and built it cohesively.”
Four of the team’s top five ground gainers are incoming transfers, and five of the top six receivers are imports. Seven of the coaches came aboard after coaching at James Madison. The leading tackler, Aiden Fisher (98 tackles), and Mikail Kamara, who leads the Big Ten with 9.5 sacks, both hail from James Madison.
“There is a lot of rotation. Everyone stays involved,” Deal explained. “We’re more talented than people realize. All of the running backs are clones. The sum of the parts makes it bigger than the whole.”
Senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke (6-5, 231) is the fourth-ranked passer in the conference with 2,410 yards, 21 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and a completion rate of 71.8%. A transfer from Ohio University, Rourke has accounted for 10,061 career passing yards, 71 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. He has 44 career starts and overcame a 2022 ACL injury. Possessing smooth mechanics and great eye discipline, he can make all the back-shoulder throws, has consistent footwork and throwing motion, and a compact release. He also makes pre-snap adjustments.
“He’s one of the best in the country,” Deal analyzed Rourke. “He plays the most important position in team sports. If you have a good quarterback, you’ve got a chance.”
The 1967 Indiana team, known as the “Cardiac Kids,” was a surprising squad that finished the season atop the Big Ten with a 9-1 record and captured the nation’s attention, beating both Michigan and Michigan State on the road. They were led by sophomore quarterback Harry Gonso, who was named team MVP.
“On the ’67 squad, we had a mixture of up-and-coming guys, good athletes, and some very cocky, self-confident types,” Gonso laughed. “We played well together.”
The team was coached by John Pont and included lineman Doug Crusan, who was drafted in the first round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Dolphins. Crusan spent seven years in the NFL, including two Super Bowl appearances, and was part of the 16-0, undefeated 1972 Dolphins squad.
Gonso was an athlete in his own right—so much so that he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers as a catcher. “As a catcher, there’s a lot of activity required—catching, throwing, controlling the game,” Gonso said.
Gonso sees a common thread between the 1967 Hoosiers, coached by Pont, and the 2024 version, with Cignetti at the helm. “Cignetti has remarkable discipline. That can attract good players. There’s a strong sense of team.”
Mark Deal has seen that same camaraderie on the 2024 team. “This group has a lot of togetherness, despite being made up of 30 transfers. Coach Cignetti is ahead of the curve. He’s a smart man. Both he and Coach Pont have smart football minds.”
Dean Kleinshmidt, a former trainer for Indiana and the New Orleans Saints, holds spots in seven Halls of Fame, including the Saints’ Hall of Fame. He was also on staff for the 1967 Hoosiers. He sees similarities between the two teams. “The brotherhood on the 2024 team, the love for one another and the oneness, is striking. There’s a togetherness, no egos, and a common goal.”
Mark Deal played for renowned coach Lee Corso at Indiana. It was a lifetime memorable ride. Included on the 1978 schedule was a trip to Tiger Stadium.
“We flew into New Orleans on Friday (September 15), attended the Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks fight at the Superdome,” he recalled. “We were perched in the second balcony. After the fight, we bussed to Baton Rouge and arrived around 1 AM.” Few, if any, coaches would accommodate a team like Corso did. The ’78 LSU Tigers featured quarterbacks David Woodley and Steve Ensminger, and running backs Hokie Gajan and Charles Alexander. LSU won the game 24-17.
“Tiger Stadium was the coolest experience,” Deal smiled. “We played our butts off. It’s the best venue I ever played in. Second best was Ohio State.”
Indiana football has experienced only three winning seasons in the last 29 years and has not won a bowl game since 1951. It’s been a long drought. The team plays in a cozy, intimate 52,000-seat stadium known as “The Rock.” Support has been consistent despite limited success.
“Our second-biggest fanbase is in Chicago,” Deal said. “Our biggest is Indianapolis. I think people within a 250-mile radius attend games. There is a great tradition. People care about Indiana football. We have a strong fanbase.”
Although the Hoosiers have dropped 27 of the last 28 encounters with Michigan, the 2015 win over the Wolverines on November 9 was not celebrated as a huge upset. There was no rushing the field. “It’s an approach: ‘We came, we saw, we won.’ Our fans and players expected to beat Michigan.”
When comparing the overall numbers, Indiana and Ohio State are remarkably similar:
Offensively:
- Ohio State (#1 in Big Ten): 454.9 total yards, 38.6 points per game
- Indiana (#2): 453.2 total yards, 43.9 points per game
Defensively:
- Ohio State (#1 in Big Ten): 250.8 yards allowed, 10.7 points allowed
- Indiana (#2): 255.5 yards allowed, 13.8 points allowed
Indiana leads the Big Ten with a conference-high 31 sacks and 11 interceptions. They also lead the nation by allowing just 72.2 rushing yards per game.
“We’ve gone out and dominated teams, and we’ve had games well in hand by the fourth quarter,” Mark Deal observed. “No exciting last-minute wins. We’ve made defensive plays, crucial field goals, and we’ve run the clock on offense.”
The Hoosiers are double-digit underdogs to the Buckeyes, but there is no pressure. Few outside the locker room expect Indiana to win. If there is any pressure, it may be on the Buckeyes—this is a classic David vs. Goliath matchup.
“We just need to take care of ourselves,” Deal said, outlining the keys to success. “Don’t worry about the logo on the helmets or the color of the uniforms. No turnovers, no pre-snap penalties. We’re good at both. The strength of the team is the leadership and experience. They have taken on the confidence of Coach Cignetti.”
