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01/08 10:38 CST Tough, motivated defenses headline high-stakes Peach Bowl
between No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon
Tough, motivated defenses headline high-stakes Peach Bowl between No. 1 Indiana
and No. 5 Oregon
By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) --- Indiana linebacker Isaiah Jones insists there's no real
secret to the Hoosiers defensive success.
They prepare hard, follow coaches' instructions, stick to the fundamentals and
trust one another to do their jobs. It's as old-school as it gets, hardly a
surprise in coach Curt Cignetti's program.
But No. 1 Indiana is here, one win away from playing for its first national
championship because the players remain motivated to prove something to
themselves --- and to the college football world.
"You're always chasing that perfect game as a defense and for us that chip will
always be there," Jones said Tuesday. "A lot of these guys had chips (on their
shoulders) before they got to Indiana and so did I. So having that chip is what
got us here, and I don't think it's ever going to go away."
These Hoosiers have been trying to show their values to a wider audience for
years.
Jones grew up in central Ohio but didn't get much attention from his home state
Buckeyes. Linebacker Aiden Fisher landed at James Madison as a zero-star
recruit. Defensive end Mikail Kamara joined him with the Dukes after receiving
several other scholarship offers from smaller schools, and cornerback D'Angelo
Ponds grew weary of hearing constant questions about his 5-foot-9 frame.
And even though Stephen Daley suffered a right leg injury that will keep him
out of Friday night's Peach Bowl against No. 5 Oregon, he didn't let anyone
deter his journey from 230-pound, two-way star to all-conference defensive
linemen. Yes, the guy his local fans once compared to Derrick Henry because he
qualified for the Virginia state track and field championships in the 100-meter
dash, as the anchor of the 4x100-meter relay and, yes, in the discus, started
his career at Kent State and created one of the sport's most unusual one-year
transitions --- going from the 0-12 Golden Flashes in 2024 to the top-ranked
and still unbeaten 14-0 Hoosiers this year.
Together, they've formed one of the nation's stingiest defenses --- one still
trying to demonstrate its stifling performance in October's 30-20 win at Oregon
was no fluke. The Ducks (13-1) understand the challenge.
"Obviously, they have great players," Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq said.
"Second to that, they have great schemes. So, I mean, when you look at the
stunts they do, the same pressures, all those things, just even players winning
their one-on-ones on the edges, the edges do a great job."
Current and former coaches have often praised Indiana's defense for its uncanny
ability to be in the right place at the right time on almost every play. That's
by design.
But the Ducks defense also has something to prove after losing twice in the
past 13 months.
In last January's Rose Bowl rematch against Ohio State, the Buckeyes jumped out
to a 34-0 lead and avenged their only loss of the season with a 41-21 rout over
No. 1 and previously unbeaten Oregon, the Big Ten champs.
Then in October, Oregon took advantage of a Pick-6 thrown by Indiana's first
Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, to tie the score at 20 in the fourth
quarter --- only to watch Mendoza march the Hoosiers right down the field for
the tiebreaking touchdown on Indiana's next series.
Oregon certainly would like to steal a page out of Ohio State's playbook in
this rematch with the Big Ten champs.
The Ducks (13-1) certainly have the bodies to get the job done.
Nearly half of Oregon's defensive starters are projected to be NFL draft picks.
They also might have the most frustrated player on the field in Atlanta ---
second team Associated Press All-American safety Dillon Thieneman, a transfer
from Purdue who grew up in suburban Indianapolis.
Not only did he endure this year's only loss, Thieneman also was on the field
when Indiana dealt Purdue its most lopsided loss in school history, 66-0, in
the 2024 regular-season finale. Naturally, he hasn't forgotten.
"Props to them for what they've done. I definitely have my own kind of feelings
about the (Oregon) game and that team and stuff," he said before cracking a
smile. "I know a few guys on that team. Just coming from Purdue, I think you
know how I feel about them, don't need to say it."
But this game won't be decided simply by who wants it more, especially with the
stakes so high.
Instead, it will come down to matchups, game plans and, of course, the most
basic element of all in football --- execution. It's a message that seems
tailor made for the blunt-talking Cignetti, who uses short phrases and quick
quips to make his point.
Implementing that message is up to the Hoosiers as they try to defy history one
more time.
"They've improved drastically. So for me, I'm scouting a whole new team,"
Fisher said. "To me, it's two teams seeing each other for the first time, in my
mind. You treat it like that. You prepare for it like that. I can speak for a
lot of guys with that, our coaches, too. We're treating it like it's the
biggest game of the year because it's the next one and you've got to prepare
for it like that."
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