Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti and Oregon football head coach Dan Lanning spoke with the media via Zoom Saturday afternoon ahead of the Hoosiers’ College Football semifinal clash with the Ducks at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
Below is their full Q&A — as well as a transcript of their conversation.
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DAN LANNING: Honored to be here. Certainly honored to get to participate in the Peach Bowl. Gary, appreciate everything that you do. Got an unbelievable amount of respect for Coach Cignetti and the job that he’s done at Indiana.
You watch this team on film, obviously we got to experience it firsthand. This is one of, if not the best-coached teams in college football. They play with unbelievable technique. They challenge you in every facet — special teams, defensively, offensively.
They’ve got great quarterback play, which I think is a secret to being in the position that they’re in. You watch this group, they play together. They’ve got great answers. They do what they do extremely well.
Defensively, they challenge you in every way. They give you a lot of different looks. This is just a group that’s obviously playing its best football now. You saw that in their most recent game. Again, just honored to get the opportunity to share a field with Coach and the job that he’s done there.
MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. Coach Cignetti, we’ll take an opening remark from you.
CURT CIGNETTI: Yeah. Excited to be a part of the Peach Bowl. Great cause. It will be a great venue. Playing a great opponent — Oregon and Coach Lanning.
I said it before when we played earlier in the year, one of the young superstars in the coaching profession. I think they’re 26-2 the last two years. An excellent football team — offense, defense and special teams. They do a great job of coaching. It’ll be a big challenge.
We were fortunate to win the game out in Eugene. It’s hard to beat a great team twice — very difficult. We edged Oregon there, but it ought to be a great game. Looking forward to the challenge
Q. Dan, where is your team better since the first time you saw Indiana this year?
DAN LANNING: In a lot of different facets. I won’t get into every detail. Neither one of us is the same team you saw earlier in the season. We’ve grown, found different strengths, and adapted as the season’s gone on. You see the same thing with Indiana.
Q. Coach Lanning, what makes Bryant Haines’ defense so elite?
DAN LANNING: In a lot of ways, you’d call it an illusion defense. They show you one thing and take something else away. They’re really good at post-snap movement, which makes it difficult for the quarterback.
Their defensive line plays with relentless effort. They’re tough to block. They’ve got a linebacker who’s basically the quarterback of the defense, and a strong corner in Ponds. They fly to the ball and attack it in the air.
Probably the best zone-break defense I’ve seen this year in college football. They do an unbelievable job there. And it all starts with stopping the run.
Q. Curt, what can you say about Devan Boykin and his value to the team?
CURT CIGNETTI: He’s a really smart player. He knows all three safety positions. He’s made a number of big plays for us. Played a lot of football at NC State. He was a quarterback in high school, has great ball skills, and is a good special teams player.
He’s a veteran, and we’ve got a lot of veterans back there, which helps. He’s one of the leaders on the back end.
Q. Dan, how has Dante Moore progressed against post-snap looks?
DAN LANNING: Experience. When we played earlier in the season, Dante hadn’t played a ton of games. As the season goes on, you see more looks, you learn from them.
Indiana’s defense is really difficult. You have to be willing to take what they give you. Dante’s been a great decision-maker throughout the year, and that’ll be really important in this game.
Q. Curt, what’s the challenge of beating a great team twice?
CURT CIGNETTI: There may be a psychological edge for the team that came up short the first time, but at the end of the day it’s determined by what happens between the white lines.
Oregon is explosive, balanced, and well-coached. Both teams will watch the tape, make adjustments, and add wrinkles. At the end of the day, it comes down to execution — play in, play out.
Q. Dan, how much does your first game at Oregon still drive you?
DAN LANNING: We’re a different team now, but I remember that game vividly. Forty-nine to three wasn’t fun. It was a good baptism into coaching. This will be as big of a challenge as that one was, playing a team like Indiana.
Q. For both coaches, what can you say about offensive line play this season?
CURT CIGNETTI: Running the ball helps pass protection. Both teams average over 200 yards rushing. That balance takes pressure off the offensive line.
Our line has been very consistent. Bob Bostad does a tremendous job. The backs help in protection, and we mix quick passes with longer-developing ones.
DAN LANNING: I agree. Both teams are multiple. Protection matters when you choose to take shots. Indiana does a great job protecting and taking advantage of one-on-one matchups.
We had some issues in our last game, and that’ll be a chip on our guys’ shoulders. Ultimately, it starts with the run game.
Q. Coach Lanning, how do you keep Dante Moore from treating this game as “bigger”?
DAN LANNING: Every play matters. When you play a team with great technique like Indiana, that’s the edge. Dante has learned from that first game. I have a lot of confidence in how he prepares.
Q. Dan, what lessons have you learned from past rematches?
DAN LANNING: Stick to your process. Don’t change who you are. Double down on what got you here. Be obsessed with details and put your players in position to succeed.
Q. Both coaches, what did working for Nick Saban mean to you?
CURT CIGNETTI: You learned everything — organization, discipline, evaluation. One year with Coach Saban taught me more about running a program than the previous 27 as an assistant.
DAN LANNING: I called it getting my doctorate in football. You learn how much you don’t know. That experience shaped everything I do.
Q. How do you handle the chaos of the transfer portal during a playoff run?
DAN LANNING: It makes teams adaptable and resilient. We don’t make the rules — we adapt to them.
CURT CIGNETTI: You have to adjust and improvise. It affects the future roster more than the current team, but preparation for this game has to come first.
Q. How do you build confidence in players?
DAN LANNING: Players create confidence; coaches support it. Confidence comes from repetition and self-awareness.
CURT CIGNETTI: Confidence comes from preparation and results. When you prepare correctly, belief grows.
Q. Curt, thoughts on Pat Coogan winning Rose Bowl Offensive MVP?
CURT CIGNETTI: The MVP was really the entire offensive line. Pat’s a leader and made all the calls. Our line played aggressive and finished plays.
Q. What does the Big Ten’s recent success say about the conference?
CURT CIGNETTI: It’s a great league top to bottom. One of us will be in the national championship game.
DAN LANNING: There’s quality across the conference. Different teams, sustained success — that says a lot.
Q. How difficult is the travel on your teams?
DAN LANNING: It’s not bad.
CURT CIGNETTI: I’ll echo that sentiment. (Laughs)
Q. Final thoughts on culture and family over self?
CURT CIGNETTI: This is a close team that plays for one another. A special group.
DAN LANNING: You don’t get to this point without selflessness. Individual success comes from team success.
MODERATOR: Thank you both for your time. Good luck with your preparation, and we look forward to seeing you in a few days.
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