Hello, Canes fam! Been a good minute, ever since the playoff opener but we’re back for another opponent Q&A as the Canes head deeper into the 2025 College Football Playoffs.
Joining us today to talk about his beloved Indiana Hoosiers is L.C. Norton. He’s the site manager over at our SB Nation sister-site Crimson Quarry.
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I returned the favor and answered some of L.C.‘s questions about Miami. I’ll post them when he publishes them.
With no further ado, let’s check in with L.C. and talk about the Indiana Hoosiers.
Question 1: After making the playoffs last year, was the National Championship Game the goal and target for Indiana this year?
Norton: This is probably one of the best questions I’ve been asked about this Indiana team because there’s some real framing to it that I’ve found hard to consider. In the building? Absolutely. Those coaches and players weren’t content with being a fun “Cinderella” type of team and the losses to Ohio State and Notre Dame, particularly how they happened, stung.
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Outside of it, the expectation was Indiana was probably going to win the vast majority of its games with matchups at Oregon, Iowa and Penn State making or breaking the season in terms of a breakthrough. Oregon needs no introduction, Iowa City has been a house of horrors for several teams but especially Indiana as of late and Penn State entered the season as a real national title contender.
Question 2: Leading the offense is Heisman Trophy winning QB Fernando Mendoza. Tell me about his skillset, and how he’s leveraged that to help Indiana to the National Championship Game?
Norton: Mendoza’s skillset is Indiana’s skillset in that he prepares like nobody else and has the tools to put himself and the team in advantageous positions. Physically, he’s got enough mobility to occasionally extend plays or jettison himself from the pocket entirely to pick up yards on the ground. He’s got a real NFL arm that can make all the throws and has the stature to survey the field before and after the snap. Mentally, he knows what he needs to be doing on a given play and how to read a defense prior to the snap. He’s a coach’s dream in the way he prepares and talks about the game, he even had Urban Meyer openly fawning over him during an interview this season. He’s highly accurate and knows just where to place the ball.
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Question 3: A Quarterback doesn’t play alone. Who are the pass catchers to know for the Hoosiers?
Norton: This has actually evolved throughout the season if you’ll humor me for a longer answer here. Indiana’s 2024 offense was built on having several options that could make plays after the catch and asked quarterback Kurtis Rourke to play point guard. The 2025 offense is very different. Instead of several targets, Indiana’s offense really funneled down to two options in Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper, two guys who excel at winning matchups at the point of attack and picking up yards from there. The offense was built around those two until some wrinkles showed up and it had to adapt.
When Sarratt got injured, Charlie Becker emerged as an entirely different kind of receiver, the kind that can win contested catches and extend a defense vertically. The offense changed as a result, with Becker getting his share of targets and Sarratt and Cooper taking a bit less. Occasionally Riley Nowakowski gets the ball as a tight end, but one name you probably haven’t heard as much is E.J. Williams. He wasn’t really a fit for the offense when it was focused on Sarratt and Cooper winning matchups. Now that things are different, there’s more ways to get him on the field winning matchups and I wouldn’t be surprised if the staff finds ways to get him the ball in the title game.
Question 4: Though Mendoza gets the headlines, Indiana’s rushing attack is actually among the best in America. Who are the players to know, and how do you expect Indiana to deploy them against Miami on Monday night?
Norton: Definitely, the guys in the backfield with Mendoza probably don’t get the praise they’re due outside of Bloomington. Indiana has relied on a one-two punch duo at running back under Cignetti with this year’s duo being Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black. I’ve seen both described as “human ATVs” and said as much myself when previewing games this season. They’re both built similarly at around 6’ tall and are very, very strong. Black in particular doesn’t give up on a play until his pads hit the turf; I’ve seen him drag Oregon, Wisconsin and Alabama jerseys on his back for the sake of a few yards. Neither is necessarily super explosive, but they get the job done between the tackles.
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Question 5: Paving the way for both the run game and the pass attack is the offensive line. What’s been your evaluation of their performance this season?
Norton: Indiana’s offensive line has had its moments throughout the season but isn’t without some weaknesses. The depth has been tested at times, and that hasn’t gone all that well when it’s happened. The staff has shown they’re fine adjusting the lineup to fit the strength of the opponent and even send some extra linemen on the field if the situation calls for it (which will almost certainly happen against Miami). The left side is stronger than the right, with LT Carter Smith, LG Drew Evans and C Pat Coogan playing great while the right side has seen a bit of rotation but mostly sees Bray Lynch at RG and Kahlil Benson at RT.
There could be some shuffling with Zen Michaski or Adedamola Ajani taking snaps at either spot, but there’s been some concerns on that side throughout the season. There’s been some struggles against top lines like Iowa, Penn State and Ohio State, but the line largely played well against both of Alabama and Oregon, even earning MVP honors at the Rose Bowl. It’s a group that’s gotten better as the season has gone on, but it hasn’t been without its wrinkles.
Question 6: Who is an unsung hero to watch out for on Indiana’s offense?
Norton: Tight End Riley Nowakowski, without a doubt. There’s several honorable mentions for this and only so many guys can get the national spotlight, but it’s gotta be Nowakowski. Tight ends have quietly been pretty key to Indiana’s successes in 2024 and 2025. Nowakowski was brought in as a transfer to replace a senior and he committed because Indiana’s staff saw something in him that Wisconsin’s didn’t, they were going to use him more and in different ways. Indiana made this point clear against Wisconsin, when it let Nowakowski terrorize the Badgers’ defense as a blocker and a pass catcher. He’s been excellent as an extra blocker and reliable as a receiver when Indiana deploys him as such, and he’s incredibly happy with the role he’s found.
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Question 7: Much has been made about the size disparity between Miami’s OL and Indiana’s DL. Let’s set that aside for a moment. Tell me about the Hoosiers’ DL, and how they go about the business of pressuring and stopping opposing offenses?
Norton: Actually one problem with Indiana’s DL is that two of its more productive edge rushers are out with injuries. Kellan Wyatt went down against Michigan State and Stephen Daley suffered one after the Hoosiers beat Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. Indiana’s missed that athleticism but adapted well to the personnel that’s currently available. Indiana prioritizes defensive line play with separate coaches for tackles and edge rushers.
Its tackles have been tremendous this season, with Mario Landino flourishing while Tyrique Tucker blossoms into one of the more difficult players to guard you’ll find. The duo of Pat Kuntz and Buddha Williams does an excellent job of coaching the group, when you watch them work it’s clear that there’s absolutely no wasted movement, every step and jab has a purpose to make something happen. Indiana also runs plenty of stunts to let its linemen use that quickness to their advantage and hit the line when they don’t know what’s coming.
Question 8: Back to the previous question, what do YOU make of the size difference between our OL and your DL? Do you foresee that being a major factor in this game?
Norton: In short: not really. This is a Mario Cristobal team, it’s gonna have strong play at the line of scrimmage. Having bigger, stronger linemen is naturally gonna matter, but defensive lines aren’t necessarily always built to be big, sometimes they’re built to be quick and that’s generally the case for Indiana. I mentioned Tyrique Tucker previously, he’s just 6’0” but he weighs in at around 300 lbs and does not move like a man that tips a scale like that. He’s strong and quick and has beaten several larger linemen this season. There’s a semi-viral clip out there of 6’1” Mikail Kamara working 6’8” Isaiah World so thoroughly that the latter ends up on the turf. If Miami’s offensive line outplays Indiana’s it won’t be because they’re bigger. It’ll be because they’re great linemen.
Question 9: Who are the players to know in the back 7 (Linebacker and Defensive Back) that Miami will have to contend with?
Norton: By now you certainly know about D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana’s top corner and a Miami native. He’s as well studied and smart as any college corner I’ve ever seen, overcoming any sort of height disadvantage he’s at with strong play. Other DBs to worry about are Amare Ferrell, Louis Moore and Devan Boykin. Ferrell and Moore are excellent at making plays on the ball at safety, leading Indiana in interceptions this season. Indiana has plenty of ways to use Boykin and he was key to a strong defensive performance against Alabama.
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As for linebackers, Aiden Fisher is the head of the snake for the whole defense. He’s excellent all-around, reading opposing offenses well and making plays when he needs to. Isaiah Jones and Rolijah Hardy are great next to him, with Hardy actually leading Indiana in sacks with 8. One of the reasons this defense is so good is that pressure can come from anywhere, any of the linemen or linebackers can get to the quarterback with speed. Five players have at least five sacks and Hardy and Jones lead the way.
Question 10: Indiana leads the nation in turnover margin at +21 to Miami’s +11. How have the Hoosiers been so opportunistic in creating and completing turnovers?
Norton: Indiana’s preparation is different from most with more time devoted to film study than live action on the field. This helps keep players fresh throughout the season and mentally prepared for whatever an offense can throw at them. It’s a culture that spreads down from the head coach. If Cignetti has literally any amount of time, he’s using it to watch tape. There’s fun little anecdotes out there about athletics staff passing by his office in the offseason and seeing him watching red zone plays from some random Big Ten game in the 2000s. His players are all like that too, incredibly dedicated to be as prepared as possible while operating as a unit to complete plays. Sometimes it’s recognizing a formation and jumping a route, other times it’s as simple as reading the quarterback’s eyes and making the play.
Question 11: Indiana is a veteran team, with many 5th and 6th year players on the roster. How has that experience helped the rapid ascension of this program?
Norton: The hot take out there is that Indiana’s good because it’s old but that’s only half the story. Experience matters, but it’s not like any team can load up on experience and replicate what Indiana has done. More on this below, but what makes that experience truly matter is that it’s been with this staff for so long. Aiden Fisher excels in part because he’s been around this staff his whole career. The same can be said for guys like D’Angelo Ponds and Tyrique Tucker on defense and Elijah Sarratt and Kaelon Black on offense. That experience combined with development in the system has really helped make this rise happen.
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Question 12: What’s the secret sauce for Indiana? Everyone knows the Cignetti “Google me” soundbyte, but there’s more to it than that. HOW has this staff gotten the Hoosiers to this point of performance and in the National Championship Game?
Norton: This answer will go long, so apologies in advance.
Curt Cignetti has won everywhere he’s been as a head coach, betting on himself by taking a job at a lower level instead of turning his Alabama gig into a more substantial job as an assistant elsewhere. He’s not infallible, he made his share of mistakes during stops at IUP, Elon and JMU, he just wasn’t under a national microscope back then and proceeded to course correct to avoid making said mistakes in the future. He’d be the first person to tell you that.
This staff also developed under him over time, defensive coordinator Bryant Haines has been with Cignetti since 2014 at IUP and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan has been with him since 2016. Other staff members have similar stories and if they don’t they have a history of excellence that Cignetti was able to identify. The same story extends to the players, Indiana has done an incredible job of scouting and developing talent. Fisher, Ponds, Sarratt, Tucker and others didn’t just show up as finished products, Indiana’s staff found those guys and put them in a position to do what they’re best at.
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What makes Cignetti elite is that there’s quite possibly no better personnel evaluator, players or coaches, in all of college football. He gets the right guys in the building and gets them all pointing in the same direction. When something isn’t working, be it a concept or a play call, he makes a change. In short, Cignetti is elite at being a head football coach and program manager.
Question 13: How does Indiana win this game?
Norton: Indiana wins this game by playing its game. I wouldn’t be surprised if Miami has some early success on offense controlling the ball and making the right plays to move down the field, Indiana’s defense has a habit of starting slow. The staff adjusts as they feel out the opponent. Indiana’s gonna look to take away one of the run or pass, because with Miami’s offense it’s a pick your poison deal where if you overcommit to one you’re risking losing control of the other. If they can limit one of those and make just enough plays to keep the other from getting out of control, that’s a great game for the defense.
For the offense, it’s holding off Miami’s excellent defensive line and finding ways to pick up yards on the ground with occasional deep shots to keep the defense honest. Indiana hasn’t seen a line quite like Miami’s this season and it’s a genuine point of concern. Look for the Hoosiers to get the ball to Hemby and Black while setting up advantageous looks for the receivers so Mendoza can get some quick completions with the occasional lob down to Becker.
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Question 14: How does Indiana LOSE this game?
Norton: Indiana loses this game if it lets Miami hum on offense and the defense gets to Mendoza and/or forces some errors. The path for the Hurricanes is leaning on the run as much as possible while setting up favorable passing scenarios for Carson Beck, which he’s excelled at during this playoff run. That keeps the defense fresh and able to get at Mendoza. If they can drag Indiana and play the game on their terms, Indiana’s in trouble.
Question 15: Time to call your shot: give me a score prediction for the game? Who emerges as the 2025 National Champion?
Norton: Man, I’m the absolute worst at score predictions. I’ll try to preface with some logic that feeds into earlier answers as well. This Miami team is good for a lot of the same reasons Indiana is good in that everybody from the staff to the players knows what they’re good at and knows how to stick to it. Carson Beck isn’t putting up gaudy numbers, so in a way he’s quietly been excellent. He knows what Miami is trying to do, pound the ball and control the clock to open up opportunities to extend drives and let the defense go to work with some relatively fresh legs. He’s not going for the big play, he’s going for what the offense is designed to do, get the ball to speed on the outside and let that talent work. That’s not to say he doesn’t take shots if they’re there, moreso that he doesn’t force them if they aren’t. That strength recognition extends to the receivers, who’ve been excellent at run blocking.
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There’s buy-in from this group under Cristobal and that’s what has Miami back in the national championship. It’s just smart football. I think Indiana has done this a tad better over the course of the season and the staff has adjusted when it’s needed to (that game against Iowa is getting a lot of pub lately and it should, but Indiana changed the way it runs offense afterward). Indiana’s just made the plays it’s needed to when they’re there.
I’d take the final score as Indiana 27, Miami 17.
Thanks to L.C. for joining us for the Q&A this week. You can check out his work covering Indiana athletics, over at Crimson Quarry.
