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Curt Cignetti chases history as IU puts perfect mark on the line against Charlotte

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti, center, watches the first half of an NCAA college football game against Florida International, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

(AP) — Only four Indiana coaches have started their Hoosiers career with three straight wins. Curt Cignetti can become the first in the program’s 140-year-old history to go 4-0 when Indiana hosts Charlotte on Saturday.

It’s already been a milestone season the Hoosiers.

Indiana broke single-game school records with 77 points and 701 yards in total offense in Week 2. Last weekend, they game beat UCLA 42-13 for the program’s first win at the Rose Bowl.

A win also would surpass Indiana’s victory total from 2023 and would put them two wins away from becoming bowl eligible. 

This week, they face a visiting 49ers squad that beat Gardner-Webb for its first win of the season. An Indiana win on Saturday would surpass the team’s victory total from 2023 and put them just two wins away from becoming bowl eligible.

In Charlotte, meanwhile, it’s been two tough football seasons. Only 25 FBS teams allow more yards passing per game than the 49ers (260.0) and only four give up more yards per catch (15.6). The 49ers and NFL’s Carolina Panthers are just 6-28 combined since their 2023 openers.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Charlotte: WR Jairus Mack. The speedy fourth-year player averaged 18.1 yards on 25 catches last season. This year, he’s been better, averaging 26.2 yards on six receptions through three games. To pull the upset, the 49ers must exploit this matchup early with the Hoosiers top cornerback, D’Angelo Ponds, out for the first half because of last weekend’s targeting call.

Indiana: DE Mikail Kamara. Yes, he only has seven tackles through three games, but the fourth-year player gives the Hoosiers their best pass-rushing threat in years. Kamara seems to be figuring out how he fits in this defense. He now has three sacks and recovered a fumble on UCLA’s first offensive play, setting the tone for the rest of the game.

OF NOTE

With such a hot start to the season, Indiana is catching lots of national media attention. The Hoosiers received 13 votes in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll.