Indiana coach Curt Cignetti chose Grant Wilson as the starting quarterback for the Hoosiers’ clash with USC despite Wilson missing practice because of the flu. The decision came within hours after Wilson led a comeback victory over Minnesota on October 31, and Cignetti confirmed it after Indiana’s 27-13 win over the No. 14 Trojans.
Cignetti said he made up his mind the night of the Minnesota game. “When I went home and when I woke up, you know, it was kind of confirmed based on how I felt,” he said. The coach added that the choice had the support of everyone in the organization and that he did not waver even though Wilson missed significant practice time during the off week due to illness.
Wilson threw for a career-high 305 yards and two touchdowns against USC, completing five passes of 20 or more yards. His 42-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Becker late in the game effectively sealed the win. Wilson credited the team’s expectations and coach Cignetti’s confidence for his performance. “It's a standard that coach Cig holds all of us to,” Wilson said. “Any time that someone has to step up and play, it's the same expectation. Just go out there and play, have fun.”
The Hoosiers’ offense had struggled since Josh Hoover, the starter for the first eight games, suffered an upper-body injury against Ohio State. Hoover rested during the off week but was fully available to play against USC, warming up with the second-string offense in pregame drills. Cignetti said Hoover was healthy enough to go but did not start. Wilson had been taking reps with the first team during Hoover’s recovery and practiced exclusively with the starters leading up to the USC game.
Wilson recalled how Cignetti informed him of his promotion. “He pulled me to the side while out there at practice, and he goes, ‘you’re gonna go with the ones,’” Wilson said. “And then he turned around and walked away.” The decision was not a surprise given Wilson’s recent role with the starters.
Cignetti said the team had been conservative in the previous two games and wanted to open up the offense against USC. “We have been kind of playing in a tent so to speak the last two weeks, conservative, and we all hated it,” he said. “We wanted to attack this team, and we came out early and made some plays and left some on the field, too.”
Wilson said Cignetti encouraged him to play his own game and assured him of the team’s support. “He just told me to go out there and just do my thing,” Wilson said. “He had confidence in me, and the team had confidence in me.”
Despite Wilson’s strong showing, Cignetti stopped short of declaring him the full-time starter. “My position is going to be we’ll evaluate it this week as we go,” he said after the game.
The Hoosiers remain at 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the Big Ten after handing USC their third loss. Wilson’s emergence as a starter comes as Indiana looks to maintain momentum in the closing stretch of the season.
According to Yahoo Sports.
