Indiana coach Curt Cignetti defended his sideline outburst after officials flagged center Bray Lynch for illegal snaps on the Hoosiers’ first two offensive plays against Northwestern, describing the start as being “Pearl Harbored.” Indiana won 29-23 and remained 4-0.
Officials said the penalties were for Lynch moving the ball or shifting his body before the snap. Cignetti believed Northwestern was shouting fake snap signals to disrupt Lynch. He said he called a timeout to seek an explanation, but the officials would not speak with him; he added that coaches usually receive a midweek warning and speculated Northwestern had submitted information to the officials.
