Curt Cignetti expected Alabama to get ‘tricky’ and ‘cute’ on key 4th down in Rose Bowl
Curt Cignetti told ESPN's Rece Davis that his staff prepared for Alabama's creative short-yardage play calling, resulting in a crucial stop that shifted the game in the Hoosiers' favor.
Olivia Bennett 
Going for it on fourth down is a high-stakes gamble that looks like a tactical masterpiece when it pays off—and a disastrous miscalculation when it doesn't. Nowhere is that pressure more magnified than on the grand stage of the Rose Bowl.
That exact scenario played out for Alabama last January during a high-stakes matchup against Indiana. Holding a slim 3-0 lead with 12:44 remaining in the second quarter, the Crimson Tide faced a pivotal fourth-and-short situation from their own 34-yard line. While ESPN analytics suggested the aggressive call, the execution fell flat.
Alabama turned to a gadget play, snapping directly to running back Daniel Hill, who then flipped the ball to receiver Germie Bernard. The Hoosiers defense was waiting, blowing up the play behind the line of scrimmage and turning the tide of the game.
Cignetti Saw It Coming
In a recent film session with ESPN's Rece Davis, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti revealed that his staff had specifically prepared for Alabama to abandon traditional power runs in favor of creative, unconventional play-calling.
“Coach (Kalen) DeBoer is a great offensive coach,” Cignetti told Davis. “But in short yardage, they have a tendency to get a little tricky and cute sometimes. I mean, you’ve got to be ready for it. They’ve had a lot of big plays doing that through the years... so we were ready for those types of things.”
While Alabama relied on such creativity throughout the 2025 season—often out of necessity due to a struggling run game—the Hoosiers were not fooled. Cignetti credited the crucial stop to disciplined execution, noting that his team had nearly eight defenders swarming the ball carrier at the point of impact.
That defensive stand proved to be the turning point. Indiana capitalized on the short field to punch in its first touchdown, eventually steamrolling Alabama in a 38-3 victory.
