IU's second-ranked football team has the current favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in quarterback Fernando Mendoza, but the Hoosiers also needed a dominant defense for its one-sided games this season.
Maryland is next to test that defense, at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in College Park, Md.
The undefeated Hoosiers rank highly in several national defensive statistics:
- Third in points allowed.
- Second in sacks.
- Fourth in third-down convers
- Seventh in rushing defense.
- 12th in passing defense.
- Sixth in yards per game allowed
The Hoosiers allowed only one first down conversion in last week's rout of UCLA at Memorial stadium.
"I think ODU (Old Dominion) had some big plays on us. Other than that, not much," IU coach Curt Cignetti said. "Kennesaw (State) got us on a couple of shift in motions, some funky formations.
"Aside from that, it's been tough going for opponents against our defense. It's been that way for a while. That's what I'm used to seeing.
"Our guys play with a lot of pride. There's a tradition on that side of the ball. They've got a great leader. The other assistant coaches do a tremendous job as well. We've got a lot of veterans back there that have played a lot of football."
Maryland is 4-3 overall and 1-3 in the Big Ten. IU is 8-0 and 5-0.
The Terrapins have allowed only three sacks this season. That's the third-fewest in the nation and tied with Ohio State for the best in the Big Ten.
Malik Washington is having one of the best seasons for a true freshman quarterback in recent years. He is 6-foot-5, 231 pounds and mobile.
"He can make all the throws down the field, and he's learning as he goes," Cignetti said. "But he's very impressive."
Cignetti noted that the offense has a role in keeping the defense successful.
"Offensively, we try not to put them in a bad spot," Cignetti said. "That's one thing about me still being involved offensively. It's not about scoring points, it's about winning the game.
"So, I make sure that we don't put the defense in a bad position where we're turning the ball over in minus territory. And when people have moved the ball a little bit against our defense, we've done a good job to holding them to field goals."