‘It’s time to go to war’: IU football shifts focus to Old Dominion after fall camp

IU football quarterback Fernando Mendoza hands the ball off at fall camp.

Old Dominion has always been on his mind.

Even through the month-long fall camp, Curt Cignetti has had his focus on the week one opponent. The second-year head coach continuously circled back to the importance of the week one tilt with the Monarchs.

After 20-plus practices in Bloomington’s sweltering heat, IU football shifts focus to its regular-season opener. The Hoosiers face a program that Curt Cignetti holds in high regard.

“I really respect Old Dominion,” Cignetti said Monday afternoon. “We’ve talked about the history of the Sun Belt teams, current members of the Sun Belt, and the blue bloods that they have defeated.”

There has been chatter in recent months surrounding Indiana’s strength of schedule, or lack thereof. However, Cignetti has a familiarity with Old Dominion and knows its capabilities to knock off a power conference opponent.

Last year, Old Dominion took South Carolina to the wire in Columbia, losing by a narrow 23-19 margin. The Monarchs have also knocked off Virginia Tech twice since 2018.

Despite the talk of scheduling, these facts live in Cignetti’s brain. At the mere mention of Old Dominion, he has talked about their recent success against teams similar to Indiana.

After praising the opponent, Cignetti expressed excitement about finally seeing his team shift into game mode this week.

“I like where we’re at coming out of camp in terms of how we practice,” Cignetti said. “The identity is sort of established throughout the season once you start playing the games.”

Though expectations are higher, Cignetti stayed focused on keeping attention on the task at hand throughout camp.

Similar to last season, Indiana has kept its focus on the next game of the week.

There was never a moment last fall when any of the players looked past their opponent. Cignetti’s focus on the present was clear in July, with no desire to look beyond Old Dominion then.

“I’m just addressing Old Dominion,” Cignetti said after the first practice. “I’m not worried about anybody else.”

An important aspect of fall camp practices is getting better while staying healthy. Indiana struggled with that in the spring, losing Michigan transfer wide receiver Tyler Morris to an injury.

Indiana stayed healthy in August, aside from minor injuries to a few defensive players and one offensive lineman. That stability gave the Hoosiers a chance to grow together as a unit during fall camp.

Cignetti emphasized learning about his team during the fall practices. However, he knows it’s time for the outside noise to fade and for games to be decided on the field.

“You’re establishing the habits that are going to carry you through the season, installing, developing players, and learning about your team,” Cignetti said. “Now it’s time to go to war. It’s serious business now.”

Although Old Dominion may not be the most formidable opponent on Indiana’s schedule, the message will remain constant from Cignetti.

“It’s all about us and our preparation, having the right mindset, and going out there and playing our brand of ball with a bunch of new faces.”

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

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