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Indiana football CB D'Angelo Ponds' 2 INT leads Hoosiers through Washington

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Indiana football CB D'Angelo Ponds' 2 INT leads Hoosiers through Washington

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BLOOMINGTON – Indiana football defensive end Mikail Kamara doesn't understand why opposing offenses continue to throw the ball toward D'Angelo Ponds.

Ponds had two interceptions in the first half of Saturday's 31-17 win over Washington with a pick-six that played a key role in helping IU (8-0; 5-0 Big Ten) extend its winning streak to eight games to match best start to the program.

The performance reminded Kamara of the way his former James Madison teammate played against Troy last year when he took his first meaningful snaps as a true freshman.

“I was in the pass rush and every time I thought about how Ponds hit the ball,” Kamara said after Saturday’s game. “Every time they tried Ponds, it never worked. They do it over and over again but it never works. I love ponds.”

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Ponds came into Saturday's game ranked second on the team in rushing five passes.

According to Pro Football Focus, he has allowed just 21 catches for 158 yards on 41 targets and opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 48.6 against him. He allowed just one reception for a four-yard gain against Washington.

“He comes from an area down there in Miami where the guys down there in South Florida grew up, were in high school and took a lot of pride in being a ballplayer,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said. “And he’s a ballplayer.”

Ponds was a late entry into the portal as a former freshman All-American, but eventually followed Cignetti to Bloomington in hopes of proving himself against Big Ten competition. He was excited to compete against a Washington team that had plenty of talent at the position.

The Huskies' top receiver, Denzel Boston, came into the game leading the conference in receiving touchdowns (nine) and was in the top 10 in yards per game (77.1). The 6-4, 209 -Pounder also had a clear size advantage over Ponds, who is listed at 5-9 and 170 pounds on IU's website.

That disparity didn't matter much on Saturday, as Ponds leapfrogged Boston to secure its second overall pick. Washington quarterback Will Rogers saw Boston in man coverage and threw him a 50-50 ball down the sideline.

“Just good technique,” ​​Ponds said matter-of-factly. “I kicked him out, just went up and got the ball.”

Ponds' pick-six came in the first quarter as Washington approached the red zone. The Huskies wanted to be the first team to score on IU in the first quarter this season, but Ponds kept the streak alive.

Washington attempted to set up a perimeter screen to the edge of the field, but Ponds jumped the route with a blitz from the corner. Ponds shared the honor with defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker, who had the ball in hand.

“I've never seen a pick-six from a now route, that was one of the strangest plays I've ever seen,” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said.

There was nothing but green grass in front of him as he stormed across midfield.

“It just came to mind,” Ponds said. “It's just a testament to the fact that I trusted the process of being where you need to be and the ball coming to you. It felt unreal.”

The turnovers couldn't have come at a better time for an IU team that was struggling on offense for the first time this season. Backup quarterback Tayven Jackson came into the starting lineup in place of the injured Kurtis Rourke (thumb) and the offense failed to get into an early rhythm.

“The offense has saved us the last few games, it was only right that we turned our backs on them,” Ponds said.

Cignetti doesn't hide his affection for Ponds.

He credited the freshman for giving the JMU defense a much-needed “shot in the arm” last year, noting that with the way he prepares and carries himself on the field Be a role model for the rest of the team.

Cignetti returned to that praise on Saturday.

“He has good talent, but he has a competitive nature,” Cignetti said. “He’s a competitor and he wants to be great. He has consistency day in and day out. He does the things that help him improve every day and that is his goal.

“He wants to be the best football player he can be and he loves the process and everything that comes with it and he’s intelligent.”

The soft-spoken Ponds is proud of the work ethic that has helped him earn a starring role on one of the best defenses in the country in consecutive years. In the fall, he told reporters he felt like he had to “earn his accolades” in Bloomington, and that's exactly what he did.

“He’s just an idiot,” Kamara said. “We pride ourselves on winning our duels, he wins his duels every time. If you put the tape on, he won’t lose.”

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek Click here to read all of his coverage.

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