Indiana able to break Maryland's will after rocky start: 'The key is always your response'

Following the third play from scrimmage, Maryland fans at SECU Stadium may have believed their team was destined to pull off an upset over No. 2 Indiana.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza dropped back to pass and thought he had wide receiver Elijah Sarratt on the sideline, but Terrapin defensive back Jamare Glasker jumped the route. He intercepted Mendoza’s pass and was able to return it all the way to the Indiana 12-yard line.

If Indiana was going to be upset as a 21-point favorite, this is exactly how it would’ve begun. It was a huge play and got the Maryland crowd into it. The 50,000-plus fans were on their feet, hoping their team would be able to knock off the undefeated Hoosiers.

But that couldn’t have been further from the case.

Indiana responded — and responded immediately. On the ensuing drive, the Hoosiers didn’t allow a first down and forced a chip-shot field goal. The Terps were on the scoreboard first, but the defense stepped up.

It wasn’t done stepping up either, as after Indiana went three-and-out on its second offensive drive, the defense forced another Maryland three-and-out.

How it Happened: No. 2 Indiana cruises to 55-10 road victory over Maryland

It was about as bad as the offense could’ve possibly started, but the defense picked up the slack. It may have only been during the first five minutes of the ballgame, but it was critical — and Curt Cignetti understood that.

“The game did start out great with the turnover. Defense did a great job of holding to three points. And the second drive, the offense didn’t do a whole lot either. Defense held them again,” he explained.

His team is built to respond. That’s simply how it’s coached, and it’s evident in the fact that Indiana is 9-0 for the second straight season. You don’t stumble into a record like that — you fight through adversity, and that’s exactly what the Hoosiers did.

“This is a veteran group. On offense, a lot of guys have played a lot of football, and really the same on defense. Chances are these guys have been in this situation before, right? They know how to respond or not react, so to speak,” Cignetti added.

“The key is always your response. I’m really proud of our defense, and then the offense started picking it up, and a lot of it was the ground game that the pass game chipped into.”

The offense certainly picked it up after its first two drives. On the final eight full series to finish the ballgame, Indiana scored on each of them. Mendoza was able to bounce back immediately, capping off Indiana’s third offensive drive with a seven-yard rushing touchdown.

Two drives later, he found wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. for a 22-yard score. The Heisman hopeful wasn’t fazed by a slow start, as the defense and offense began to feed off each other with the Hoosiers beginning to build a lead.

“Our defense did a fantastic job of creating five turnovers today, which won the turnover ratio. They did a great job of complementing us,” Mendoza told reporters following the Indiana victory.

“But our offense really rallied, and our defense really rallied. I think that’s why you saw such a big improvement in the second quarter and on.”

A part of the Hoosiers’ rise to prominence lies in the fact they now have a target on their back each and every week. Especially on the road, the opposition is looking for a season-defining win, hoping to expose a weakness and break Indiana down.

A slow start could’ve broken Indiana’s will. For most teams, even a top-five program like the Hoosiers, it could’ve meant they were on upset alert — yet it was never particularly close past the first half.

“From the first play to the last, you’ve got to keep the pedal to the metal and keep going nonstop. Nonstop. Nonstop, because at some point they’re going to break. It’s not going to be us,” defensive lineman Mikail Kamara explained postgame.

Maryland was showing signs of breaking once halftime rolled around, but the Terps were able to march down the field and score a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half. A 55-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Malik Washington to wide receiver DeJuan Williams gave Maryland some life, but Indiana responded by completely breaking UMD’s will.

Running back Kaelon Black got things started with a 31-yard touchdown on the following drive, but then two plays later, defensive back Devan Boykin stripped Washington and took the football 32 yards for the score. On Maryland’s next play, defensive back Byron Baldwin Jr. punched the ball away from wide receiver Octavian Smith, giving the Hoosiers the ball once again.

And two plays later, running back Roman Hemby put the final nail in the coffin with a 16-yard touchdown rush. Just two minutes prior, it was 20-10, but now Indiana held a 41-10 advantage.

“I think it’s just complementary football,” linebacker Isaiah Jones said, attributing Indiana’s success to “just feeding off each other, offense giving defense life, and vice versa.”

Players Q&A: Indiana players react to Indiana’s road win at Maryland

In Indiana’s quest for a perfect regular season, the Hoosiers have learned how to overcome whatever comes their way. Against Maryland, Indiana needed to find a way to silence the home crowd after the Terps made an impact play on the first possession.

To win a national title, Indiana will have to be able to respond. It did so in a major way against the Terps, as the Hoosiers are all about breaking the other team’s will before their own can be broken.

This is the recipe for a national title — and as Kamara will tell you, Indiana is looking to build toward one each and every week.

“It’s about winning the championship, winning the Big Ten championship and then trying to win a natty. So I just think we understand every single week we have to attack it like it’s any other game. That’s just the mindset every single time.”

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