Curt Cignetti Thinks Kennesaw State Will Challenge Indiana Saturday

No. 23 Indiana (1-0) welcomes Kennesaw State (0-1) to Bloomington on Saturday, and the Hoosiers are understandably a significant favorite, the latest being at 35.5 points according to FanDuel.

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti doesn't see a Saturday walk in the park though, spending time earlier this week noting the issues Kennesaw State can present. Afterall, the Owls gave Wake Forest everything it could handle last week, falling 10-9 in Winston-Salem.

Obviously, Indiana has taken a big step from the Wake Forest-type range it may have been in historically, but Cignetti is still not taking anything for granted. Here are the key takeaways from his press conference this week, where he previewed Saturday's game.

On Drew Evans' Return to Indiana Lineup vs. Old Dominion

"Solid...he's going to give you a great effort," Cignetti said. "He's going to finish, give you everything he's got. He's a really smart player. And having him back is a real plus."

Despite not being thrilled overall with Saturday's performance, he did note that overall, the blocking was a positive.

"I thought our offensive line and tight ends did a nice job," Cignetti said. "Our running backs, our receivers, most of the day blocked well. It was a game where they were called on to block safeties."

Cignetti on Fernando Mendoza's First Indiana Start

Fernando Mendoza had his first Indiana start last week against Old Dominion, completing 18 of 31 passes for 193 yards, while rushing for 33 more as well as a touchdown. Cignetti recapped his Hoosiers debut.

"Left some things out there. The emphasis with him has been on his processing and decision making. And you grade the quarterback based on his decision making and accuracy...has he gone through the right reads, throwing the ball to the right guy and accurately. He's made progress since he's been here, but he's still got to get better."

Kennesaw State Can Present Indiana with Problems

Cignetti on Kennesaw State's...

Veteranship: "They've got a lot of older guys in general on their football team and starting roles," he said. "Receiver No. 1 is a really good player, running back is a really good player, too."

Fast-tempo offense: "They're going to use the field, and the biggest adjustment will be when they do go warp speed, getting the calls in, getting lined up, that kind of thing, and keeping the quarterback contained."

Impressive Defense: "Defensively, I'm impressed," Cignetti said. "They're fundamental. They're well coached. They're in the right place. They run around good. They tackle. They're tough. They've done a nice job there."

Indiana vs. Kennesaw State: How to Watch

Indiana and Kennesaw State are scheduled to kickoff from Memorial Stadium in Bloomington on Saturday, September 6. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. ET and can be seen live on Fox Sports 1.