No. 3 Indiana tries to ignore the noise by focusing on Michigan State and the Old Brass Spittoon

Indiana running back Roman Hemby has had plenty of experiences during his first four college seasons.

He’s ready to tackle a different one Saturday.

One week after celebrating perhaps the biggest victory in Hoosiers history and just six days after ascending to the highest ranking in school history, No. 3 Indiana heads home to face struggling Michigan State.

On paper, it looks like a mismatch. The reality is Hemby and his teammates know better.

“I feel like we’re in the business where we know Big Ten football is Big Ten football and everyone is capable of beating everybody,” he said. “I say this all the time, we’d be doing a disservice to ourselves if we kind of got up for certain opponents and treated different opponents lightly. We’re attacking this game as if it’s our Super Bowl.”

That perspective helped keep Indiana’s historic first season under coach Curt Cignetti on track, and it’s helped fuel what so far has been an even more impressive run this year.

The Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0) remain perfect at home under Cignetti, winning a school record 12 straight. They are the only FBS unbeaten with multiple wins over top 10 foes — 63-10 over then-No. 9 Illinois and 30-20 at then-No. 3 Oregon — and the only team with a perfect mark to post a road win over a top five team. Indiana is even getting first-place votes.

Next up: The reeling Spartans (3-3, 0-3).

Michigan State has lost three straight, including last week’s embarrassing 38-13 blowout against UCLA — a loss that has raised questions about Michigan State’s effort while casting a shadow over coach Jonathan Smith’s future at the school.

If anybody understands what the Spartans are up against, it’s Smith, the former Oregon State coach who went 2-4 against the Ducks but never won at Eugene.

“It’s been impressive. Just look at this season, they have back-to-back road wins, tough places to compete,” Smith said. “Offensively, they’re challenging. Defensively, they can beat you. So they’ve done a really nice job. They’re one of the best teams in the country.”

And yet the Hoosiers remain focused this week.

Yes, a second straight victory over rival Michigan State would allow Indiana to retain the Old Brass Spittoon for the first time since a three-game winning streak from 1967-69. Still, Hemby and his teammates don’t need that as motivation.

All they want to do is keep winning.

“We have a veteran group where a lot of us have been in this situation before,” Hemby said. “We know what it takes, we know what we’re capable of and we know we have to put that product on the field every time.”

The Mendoza line

Smith’s defense has a lot to contend with this week, starting with Indiana’s efficient three-back rotation, two receivers among the nation’s the top 10 in touchdown receptions and an offensive line that has allowed only six sacks this season.

The biggest challenge, though, might be containing Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The transfer from California responded to his second interception of the season, a pick-six that allowed Oregon to tie the score, with yet another TD drive. At the halfway point, Mendoza ranks fourth nationally with 17 TD passes and fifth in passer rating at 183.4.

“He’s playing at a really high level. Quick release, good decision-maker, willing to run the ball,” Smith said. “They can run it, they can throw it, they’re physical up front, good receiver play — that helps Mendoza.”

Questionable

Smith may not know who his starting quarterback will be until at least Friday.

The Spartans starter, Aidan Chiles, could not finish either the past two games because of injuries. Last week, he left in the third quarter following a helmet-to-helmet hit some thought should have resulted in a targeting call. Chiles stayed down briefly before going to the injury tent and coming out without a helmet.

“Optimistic,” Smith said when talking about Chiles’ status for Saturday. “But we’ll find out at the end of the week.”

Redshirt freshman Alessio Milivojevic replaced Chiles each of the past two weeks.

Rolling with Bones

The emergence of playmaking, fourth-year linebacker Isaiah Jones has been one of Indiana’s biggest surprises this year.

In the locker room, though, everybody knows him by another name — Bones Jones. It seems an apt description for the guy who leads the team with 4 1/2 sacks, ranks third in tackles with 32 and picked off his first pass last week to seal the win at Oregon.

“That’s (defensive coordinator Bryant) Haines all the way, big UFC guy,” Jones said. “I thought it was just a linebacker thing. In the summer, I was walking through the weight room, and (defensive tackles) coach (Pat) Kuntz came walking through and was like ‘Bones Jones’ and I was like ‘Where did you hear that?’ He goes, ‘Oh, that’s how Haines refers to you in the meeting rooms.’ I was like, ‘Alright, Bones Jones it is.’”

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