Curt Cignetti Talks New Travel Plans Ahead of Indiana vs. Oregon Showdown

Indiana football approaches one of the biggest games in program history on Saturday, and it’s also one of their farthest trips.

The seventh-ranked Hoosiers will travel over 2,000 miles from Bloomington, Ind. to Eugene, Ore. to face the third-ranked Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, with ESPN's College GameDay in town.

Despite the high stakes and cross-country trek, coach Curt Cignetti has consistently downplayed the week-to-week disparity of matchups, no matter the opponent. A coach who has become known for making bold claims, one of Cignetti’s most famous quotes came before his first game with Indiana, when asked at Big Ten Media Days about the special opportunity to play at the historic Rose Bowl stadium against UCLA heading into the 2024 season.

“We’re just going to an old stadium to kick somebody’s ass,” Cignetti said back in 2024. “When I say that, that’s not directed toward UCLA. That’s the objective every week.”

Curt Cignetti Indiana Football — Indiana Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti celebrates defeating the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

So knowing Cignetti, it was no surprise to hear him take a similar approach on Monday when previewing Oregon. He said the team will arrive in Eugene slightly earlier than they did last season in Los Angeles due to the earlier kickoff time.

“There's not much to figure out,” Cignetti said of the trip. “That's what we do every game. We get in about the same time in the evening and we've got our routine. It's just the way I like to do it.”

“I say it all the time; you prepare for them all the same. Otherwise you'd be doing a disservice to your team if you're all in one game and not all in on another. From that standpoint, it's pretty much the same.”

Along with a lengthy flight to UCLA last season, Cignetti’s Hoosiers have already conquered a challenging road environment in 2025, defeating Iowa 20-15 at Kinnick Stadium on Sept. 27. They had a bye last week to prepare for Oregon, who similarly had the week off after a crucial 30-24 overtime win at then-No. 3 Penn State.

Cignetti acknowledged that overcoming a loud, sold-out Iowa crowd will help his team prepare for Oregon, as would doing anything for a second time. It has tripped them up in the past, though, making their communication something to watch on Saturday.

Following last season’s 38-15 loss at Ohio State, Cignetti said the Buckeyes were able to time up a few blitzes after Indiana went to a silent count, triggered by the guard. He also noted after the Iowa game that quarterback Fernando Mendoza did not audible, in part due to the noise.

Fernando Mendoza Indiana Football — Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) rolls out to throw against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Going back to his previous tenure at James Madison, Cignetti said the coaching staff stopped audibling from the sideline after his second season. So heading into the Oregon game, it’ll be part of the Hoosiers plan sparingly, if at all.

“We've never been a check audible team, really, to be honest with you,” Cignetti said. “… We don't do a lot of it. We talk about doing it at times. We'll see what this week brings.”

“We have a veteran team. So they've been around the block. Most of them have been in games like this before.”

Perhaps more relevant to the outcome than travel and crowd noise will be how the Hoosiers and Ducks match up on the field. Oregon is led by quarterback Dante Moore, who has a 74.6% completion percentage, 14 passing touchdowns to just one interception, and averages 5.1 yards per rush.

Cignetti also recognized that Indiana is not as big as Oregon, which has four defensive lineman listed over 330 pounds. Last season, the Hoosiers’ inability to protect quarterback Kurtis Rourke in their two biggest games of the season against Ohio State and Notre Dame makes that a factor to watch this time around against the Ducks, a team that has earned Cignetti’s full respect.

“Coach Lanning has done a tremendous job recruiting, development, retention,” Cignetti said. “Probably one of the most impressive young coaching phenoms to come around in a while I would say, having been in this game for a little bit. They're a great football team.”