IU football remains focused ahead of primetime tilt with Illinois
- Josh Pos
- 4h ago
Uncharted territory might be an understatement.
Bloomington, Indiana, hasn’t seen a game between two top-20 college football programs since October of 1987, when the Hoosiers hosted Michigan.
That three-decade-long streak ends Saturday night when No. 9 Illinois visits to take on No. 19 Indiana.
A sellout was announced July 31, turning the week four clash between two rising programs into more than just a conference opener.
Fans and national media are calling it a big deal, but Indiana remains steadfast in its message: it’s just another game.
“This is just another game to me,” defensive lineman Kellen Wyatt said Tuesday. “I don’t really look at it as a big game.”
Indiana, as a team, has a wealth of big game experience. However, in Wyatt’s case, it is the first time the veteran transfer will take the field in a ranked-vs-ranked game.
The Maryland transfer enters his fourth season of Big Ten football. Admittedly, he recognizes that he has a lack of experience in highly-touted affairs, but knows the emotions surrounding the game.
Wyatt knows butterflies will fill his stomach on game day as he and the team sit together. Those butterflies, though uncomfortable, signify immense excitement for Wyatt as he embarks on his first conference home game with IU.
The pressure of the outside noise and bright lights doesn’t vex Wyatt. It will help him stay composed and rely on the skills and instincts that positively impact his team’s performance.
“It’s nice to, you know, always have a big game like this, you know, you feel like you’re playing a lot looser,” Wyatt said. “You feel like a lot of eyes are on you, which they are. And, yeah, when you make plays in big games, people start to see them.”
Wyatt is among the few defensive players with limited experience in a high-stakes contest. Defensive lineman Mikail Kamara has seen plenty of “big game” action. The veteran has delivered in high-stakes moments, making him a steadying presence on the field.
Both of Indiana’s ranked matchups last season came on the road in hostile, high-energy environments. Kamara totaled six tackles in the losses in those games.
This time, the Hoosiers have a home-field advantage — a long-awaited opportunity that’s already fueling excitement for the preseason All-American.
Kamara has always envisioned playing in big-time environments.
He expected to play in big games like this after making the move with head coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana. A sold-out crowd only adds to the excitement he anticipated.
“That’s like, that’s like, something you dream about as a kid, right?” Kamara said. “Playing on Saturday night, the lights are on as the weather is beautiful, especially at home, too. It’s a dream, for sure.”
Eliminating outside “noise and clutter” leading up to game day has been a hallmark of the Cignetti-led program.
National media members spent the offseason targeting Indiana and its strength of schedule. Pundits have remained critical despite IU’s unblemished non-conference record.
Kamara remains focused in his fourth season under Cignetti, successfully blocking out the distractions that come with big-game pressure.
“I think, at least me personally, I’m not really concerned about what other people have to say outside this facility or locker room,” Kamara said. “I see what they cheer for, I see what they boo. It doesn’t really affect me.”
The two major pregame shows will not be in Bloomington on Saturday morning.
ESPN’s College Gameday chose Miami vs Florida while FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff chose Texas Tech vs Utah.
Cignetti does not appear bothered by what could be considered a snub. Instead, his morning will be spent the way he intends: focused on his team and the task at hand.
Even without pregame shows, he understands the importance of playing on NBC’s Big Ten Saturday Night before a national audience.
His team may have to sit around all day at the Graduate Hotel, but the reward is 52,626 fans dressed in red, all cheering them on.
A program-record 11-game home win streak is on the line this week. For Cignetti, it’s also a chance to open conference play with a statement victory.
“I’m always focused on the game regardless,” he said. “It’s going to be a great environment, and I know our players will be excited. Looking forward to it.”
The conversation has centered on the grim history surrounding the program since Cignetti arrived.
Over 20 months later, Indiana football has taken a colossal step forward. When Saturday night arrives and the Hoosiers take the field, 1987 will begin to feel like a distant memory.
A win over Illinois would mean more than a 1–0 start in Big Ten play — it would mark a defining moment of resurrection at the corner of 17th and Dunn.
Saturday night could be the time Indiana, a program long defined by its past, starts a new tradition: winning.
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