Indiana remains focused as it looks for first-ever win at Beaver Stadium

In Curt Cignetti’s nearly two-season tenure as Indiana head coach, there have been a lot of “firsts” for the Hoosiers.

For the first time in program history, Indiana won 10 games in a season and made a College Football Playoff, both occurring last season. But 2025 has brought even more uncharted territory for Indiana. The Hoosiers beat a top-three opponent on the road, hosted a ranked matchup in primetime, and rose to No. 2 in the country — all for the first time in IU’s 100-plus-year football history.

For as many first-time moments as there have been during Cignetti’s 22 games as the leader of Indiana football, this Saturday’s noon matchup against Penn State presents another opportunity to make history.

Indiana has never won a game at Beaver Stadium, having lost all 13 games it has played at the historic venue. In fact, the Hoosiers have only beaten Penn State twice in their history, carrying a 2-25 overall record ahead of Saturday’s Week 11 contest.

The Indiana football of old is long gone, but this new-look program continues to make history week after week. Saturday presents the perfect shot for the Hoosiers to check another box as they look to finish the regular season unblemished.

Just like every other game, though, Indiana is blocking out the noise and focusing on simply winning a football game.

“For us, it’s just another Saturday, another game,” linebacker Isaiah Jones said following practice Tuesday.

While Indiana treats every game with the same focus and preparation, the Hoosiers understand the challenge Beaver Stadium presents. Even with a struggling Penn State team, the crowd is still 100,000 strong, and that will never be an easy task.

Game Week Q&A: Pat Coogan, Isaiah Jones preview Week 11 matchup with Penn State

“We need to worry about taking care of business because it’s going to be a huge challenge for us,” center Pat Coogan said.

“Obviously everyone knows how challenging playing at their stadium is. So we have to prepare for it, and we have to be ready for it. It’s going to be a big challenge for us.”

Penn State and Indiana have gone completely opposite directions this season, and coincidentally, it was matchups with Oregon that sparked both teams’ trajectories.

Once Indiana beat Oregon in Week 7, the Hoosiers were finally taken seriously as a true title contender. But for Penn State, a Week 5 loss to the Ducks sent it into a free fall. James Franklin was fired two weeks later, and the Nittany Lions haven’t won a game since.

They sit at 3-5 with an 0-5 conference record, while the Hoosiers come into Saturday’s matchup at 9-0 and ranked No. 2 in the first edition of the College Football Playoff rankings. That doesn’t mean IU will coast to an easy win, though.

It’s never easy to win at Beaver Stadium, and with a target on their backs due to their undefeated record and high ranking, the Hoosiers need to be on their A-game Saturday. Indiana will have to deal with the noise, and even if it’s not as challenging as many thought it would be entering the season, the Hoosiers realize it won’t be a cakewalk.

“Yeah, I mean, you get that when you play in the Big Ten. Some of these stadiums have 100,000 fans, and that’s something you just try to tune out,” Jones told reporters.

“You try to stay within the white lines and do the best you can, but it definitely has a role, and I think it plays into their favor. But we’ll see on Saturday.”

To do something Indiana has never done before, the Hoosiers will have to win in front of 100,000 fans hoping to see an upset. IU was able to silence the crowds at Iowa, Oregon and Maryland, but none compare to what Happy Valley presents.

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Penn State is a desperate team looking for something to energize its fans. A win over the No. 2 team in the country would be exactly what the Nittany Lions need, and at home, anything is possible.

With history on the line, Indiana will employ the same mentality it always does: 100 percent focus and preparation, with a goal to get better each day. The Hoosiers are always excited for the challenge ahead, and it’s something that bonds them together week after week.

“You know, it’s just exciting to go up there and be with the guys you put in the work with and to just keep making history as a team one step at a time,” Jones said.

Rewriting the history books is nothing new for Cignetti’s Indiana program, and as it continues its journey toward a perfect regular season, it has a chance to add to the 2025 team’s accolades with a road test at Penn State.

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