As head coaches throughout the nation abscond the choice committee and bemoan their workforce’s lack of an invite to the School Soccer Playoffs, the person behind the Hoosiers bench, stumped, duped and defeated by Marcus Freeman’s Combating Irish, can do little besides scratch his head.
With the sting of the 27-17 defeat nonetheless contemporary, Curt Cignetti, Indiana’s head coach, was pressed to reply for the Hoosiers’ shortcomings and his questionable choice to punt the ball away late within the fourth quarter along with his workforce already down 17 factors.
Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK through Imagn Photographs
“I didn’t want to punt, but we were doing nothing on offense and our defense was fighting,” Cignetti stated, per Larry Brown Sports activities. “That was the only positive, really, that I could draw, was our defense was still fighting. Because our offense was doing nothing.”
The pinnacle coach is right on no less than one rely, his offense was abysmal.
However Cignetti’s broad-chested declaration about his Hoosiers “beat[ing] the sh–” out of top-25 groups, Indiana mustered their second-lowest level whole of the season in opposition to Notre Dame and didn’t attain the top zone till there was lower than two minutes remaining within the fourth quarter.
The ultimate rating of the competition was 27-17, however these numbers don’t do Indiana’s offensive inabilities even a semblance of justice.
And on the punt-inducing drive in query, very like the various that preceded it, the Hoosiers weren’t displaying any indicators of life.
The offense had taken over at their very own 40-yard-line and moved so far as Notre Dame’s 48.
Going through a 4th-and-11 with 10:34 left within the closing body, Cignetti despatched out the punting unit.
“I didn’t want to go [for it on] 4th-and-10,” he advised reporters after the sport. “It’s like you’re just wishing and hoping.”
The pinnacle coach continued: “You have nothing to base it on, that you can convert 4th-and-10 at that point. [And] there’s still time if you punt to win the game. So that was the reason why. I didn’t want to do it, but I felt like it was the best move.”
The Combating Irish took over at their own-22 however had no downside touring the size of the sphere.
Quarterback Riley Leonard capped the nine-play, 78-yard drive with a one-yard landing run that prolonged the result in 27-3.
Cignetti’s choice to punt baffled broadcasters and followers alike.
“I don’t understand … It makes no sense,” Greg McElroy stated.
“I don’t get this at all, he’s really punting it … that’s a head-scratcher to me,” Sean McDonough added.
The Combating Irish will face off subsequent in opposition to second-ranked Georgia on New 12 months’s Day. Kickoff of their AllState Sugar Bowl is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. ET.
