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ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis shared praise for Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti after the Hoosiers' big win against Illinois. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Rece Davis believes Big Ten coach might be best in college football

Originally posted on CFB-HQ on SI | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 9:47 AM ET

Indiana’s dismantling of Illinois may have been the single biggest statement of the early Big Ten season. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw five touchdown passes, D’Angelo Ponds blocked a punt and returned it for a score, and the Hoosiers crushed the Fighting Illini 63-10 for their first win over a top 10 opponent in five years. It was also the most lopsided victory in school history against a ranked opponent, pushing Indiana to 4-0 under second-year head coach Curt Cignetti.

The blowout drew national attention not just because of the score, but because of what it suggested about Indiana’s rapid rise. On the College GameDay podcast, Rece Davis, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel dissected the result. Thamel summed up the coach’s confidence: “Curt Cignetti still has an unflappable belief in Curt Cignetti. This is the highest compliment you can give him. He thinks he is the best coach in college football.”

Davis immediately added, “And he might be right!”

Indiana Dominates Illinois In Historic Fashion

Indiana wasted no time grabbing control. Ponds’ blocked punt and 11-yard return opened the scoring, and Mendoza followed with an almost flawless passing performance, completing 21 of 23 attempts for 267 yards. He became the first Indiana player with multiple games of five or more touchdown passes in three quarters. Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. combined for 14 catches, three touchdowns and 170 yards, while Khobe Martin and Kaelon Black added nearly 200 rushing yards with three more scores.

By halftime, Indiana had built a 35-10 lead and never looked back. The Hoosiers scored touchdowns on their first two drives of the second half to bury Illinois. It was the worst defeat of Bret Bielema’s tenure and the school’s most lopsided loss since 2018.

Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Illinois managed just three rushing yards in the first half and quarterback Luke Altmeyer was sacked seven times. “We didn’t respond to any adversity,” Bielema said. “Embarrassing and at a loss for words.”

The contrast was stark. Indiana extended its school-record home winning streak to 12, all under Cignetti, who later told reporters, “We’ll get people’s attention with this one. The team really laid it on the line tonight. There’s nothing better than being the Grinch in the second half with a big lead. I love that feeling.”

National Praise Highlights Cignetti’s Rapid Rise

The performance prompted Davis to caution that Indiana’s toughest challenges are still to come. “Be careful Saturday though,” Davis said, noting that Iowa’s top-15 defense awaits. “Even though Curt Cignetti has done it quickly, they’re still building. Better be careful Saturday, because it’s really hard to go back-to-back with performances like that.”

Still, the larger takeaway from the weekend was how far and how fast Cignetti has taken Indiana. Thamel and Davis agreed that his belief in himself has translated to belief inside the program. The Hoosiers no longer look like underdogs surviving on grit. They looked like a balanced, well-coached team capable of punishing a ranked opponent in every phase of the game.

Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cignetti himself tried to downplay the hype on Monday, pointing to Iowa as “a more difficult challenge than the last one.” But the attention surrounding his name is only growing, as Indiana’s quick rise under his leadership continues to fuel speculation about just how high the Hoosiers can climb.

The Hoosiers will try to extend their unbeaten start when they visit Iowa on Saturday afternoon.

This article first appeared on CFB-HQ on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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