Hoosiers Hoping To Make Corrections, Forget Losses

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana coach Bill Lynch is sticking with his old theme.

After three straight wins to open the season, he instructed the Hoosiers to keep looking ahead. After two straight losses to open the Big Ten season, he's doing the same thing, hoping Indiana gets its season on track at Virginia this weekend.

"You win and you lose and you pick yourselves up and move on," he said Tuesday. "You get 12 chances and you're going to do everything you can to win a football game, and you don't want to go in saying 'If we can keep it close' or 'If we can make it respectable.' I think our kids felt like that this hurt (the Ohio State game)."

Yes, the past two weeks have been tough emotionally for the Hoosiers (3-2, 0-2 Big 10).

They just missed upsetting Michigan in Ann Arbor, a place Indiana hasn't won since 1967, and in front of a near sellout crowd at home Saturday, they fell behind 10-0 early and never really challenged No. 9 Ohio State.

The Hoosiers were hoping that a strong performance would keep fans coming back. Instead, many left early.

The challenge now is forgetting about Saturday's dismal performance and focusing on a critical game against resurgent Virginia squad, a 16-3 winner at North Carolina last weekend.

How big is this game?

A victory would give Indiana a sweep of its four nonconference foes and leave the Hoosiers just two wins short of becoming bowl eligible with six games left. Players understand the significance, too, taking the company line by talking more about Virginia (1-3, 1-0 ACC) than Ohio State.

"I think this is a big part of our year right now and this is a big game," said linebacker Tyler Replogle, one of this week's game captains.

Improving also means the Hoosiers have to figure out what went wrong against the Wolverines and especially the Buckeyes, the first time this season Indiana has been blown out.

The videotapes tell the tale.

Lynch said the offensive line didn't hold blocks long enough, the defense struggled to get into the gaps against Ohio State and quarterback Ben Chappell was under too much pressure. Indiana also struggled in the battle for field position and had an untimely poor snap on a punt that allowed Ohio State to record a safety.

"Watching the films, it's all fundamental stuff," left guard Justin Pagan said. "It's little things that over time have built up. Like, myself, personally, taking the right step at the right time. It's just little things that you don't think about it, but when it happens in a game, it's not good."

Lynch has maintained that consistent message all season, and Indiana has responded.

When the Hoosiers struggled to run the ball in the season opener against Eastern Kentucky, Lynch made it a focal point and the ground game improved over each of the next three weeks. When Lynch was upset with penalties, particularly pre-snap fouls, he invited officials to practice. Indiana's numbers were better the next two weeks.

But this could be the toughest challenge of the season.

Instead of focusing on one or two areas, Ohio State exposed a series of potential problem areas at the same time the Hoosiers try to avoid falling into a tailspin, as has been the case with previous slow starts in conference play.

Lynch is convinced it will not be a problem this season.

"Knowing this team, I'm not concerned about that at all because these guys like playing," he said. "There wasn't anybody hanging their heads, they want to get better, they want to win."

Now, they just have to focus on what lies ahead.

"We watch film, we're going to learn from what happened the past couple of weeks and we're going to move on," Replogle said. "Everyone's excited to get another win."