Omar Cooper Jr. follows Sarratt's 3-TD game with 4 of his own: "That's a quarterback's dream"

In his press conference after Indiana’s 73-0  victory over Indiana State, Curt Cignetti found himself needing to take a look at the box score in front of him just one more time.

Cignetti knew Omar Cooper Jr. had a spectacular night, but when he was asked about his talented receiver, he wanted to make sure he had his production exactly right.

“What I was pleased most about was his production — and what was his production? Omar Cooper. 10 for 207, four touchdowns — that’s a pretty good day’s work,” Cignetti said, with a smile on his face.

While he didn’t mention it, Cignetti knew that Cooper Jr. had tied the program record for most receiving touchdowns in a single game, set by James Hardy in 2006. His smile said it all, though, as Cignetti was incredibly pleased with what he saw from the redshirt junior from Lawrence North High School.

Cooper Jr. was simply elite, as his 10 catches, 207 yards and four scores were done in just over two quarters of play. With the rest of the starters, he was out there for the first half but also played the first series of the third quarter.

In that series, Cooper Jr. scored his longest touchdown of the night. It went 58 yards, but most of that came after the catch, which was the theme of the entire night for him. Of Cooper Jr.’s 207 yards, 136 of them were gained after he caught the pass.

Players Q&A: Indiana players talk Indiana’s Friday night win over Indiana State

Cooper Jr. attributes his ability to evade defenders with the ball in his hands to “just working on making a man miss after the ball.”

“We practiced that throughout fall camp and throughout the year. So, just taking what we practice and bringing it into the game,” Cooper explained after the win over ISU.

It wasn’t just Cignetti who took notice of Cooper Jr.’s performance, though, as quarterback Fernando Mendoza had quite the amount of praise to give his receiver following the 73-0 rout of the Sycamores, with Coop’s YAC ability being just a small part of the puzzle.

“Yeah, it’s great. I mean, that’s a quarterback’s dream. Wherever you throw like a bubble and it turns for a 60-yard or 40-yard gain, that’s fantastic to have playmakers like that,” Mendoza told reporters.

While Mendoza admits it was a “dream” to have Cooper Jr. play the way he did, the feeling was mutual, as with the way Mendoza was throwing the ball, it was hard not to appreciate the chemistry between receiver and quarterback.

“I would say repetition each and every day. In practice, just getting them reps in, full-speed reps. And like I said, being consistent, which we did really well this week. So, I’m looking to build on that this upcoming week,” Cooper Jr. explained regarding his relationship with Mendoza, one that really showed just how special it can be on Friday night.

Mendoza completed all 10 of his throws to Cooper Jr. over the course of the first half, with the duo being able to connect on a pass in all but one drive between the first and second quarters. In each drive that Cooper Jr. caught a pass, the Hoosiers scored a touchdown, while on the one there he didn’t, IU had to settle for a field goal. 

Coincidence? Probably not, as when Cooper Jr. was on, Indiana’s offense was seemingly unstoppable.

The duo combined for three touchdowns as well (Cooper’s fourth coming when Alberto Mendoza was in the game), giving Fernando Mendoza back-to-back games where he threw three scores to a single receiver.

Of course, he threw three to Elijah Sarratt a week ago, cementing Sarratt and Cooper Jr. as a formidable one-two punch at the receiver position. And when they’re both clicking with Mendoza, the sky’s the limit.

“When they’re doubling Elijah, it gives Coop the one-on-one, gives EJ (Williams) the one-on-one. And so that just opens up the offense. And to have three targets like that who I think are all NFL players, it’s fantastic as a quarterback. It’s such a privilege to have as a quarterback, especially with such a great offensive line and such great receivers,” Mendoza mentioned postgame.

How it Happened: No. 22 Indiana dismantles Indiana State 73-0 to wrap up non-conference play

Last week it was Sarratt, this week it was Cooper Jr., but what about next week? Indiana hosts Illinois in what might be the biggest home game in the history of Memorial Stadium, but which receiver might light up the stat sheet against the Illini?

We don’t know, and that’s exactly why having a duo of Sarratt and Cooper Jr. is so dangerous. You don’t know who’s going to break out, and with each of them proving they’re on the same page with Mendoza, there’s no telling what their production could be like.

Against Indiana State, Cignetti had to double-take at Cooper Jr.’s stat line, but the real important box score lies just seven days ahead. A 73-0 win over ISU was important in getting in the last few game reps before Big Ten play begins, and Omar Cooper Jr. isn’t just ready, he’s prepared to thrive with Fernando Mendoza as his quarterback.

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