Hoosiers calm despite losses

Indiana was sitting squarely behind the 8-ball just 15 minutes into action.

As if a contest against national power Ohio State was not tough enough, the Hoosiers fell behind by 10 points early on and never recovered en route to a 33-14 loss.

In essence, the rough start led to the second straight defeat for Indiana (3-2), which plays at Virginia (1-3) at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

It was quite the opposite of the starts that IU enjoyed in winning three of its first four

“Probably the biggest thing, looking back at the game, was we didn’t play very well in the first quarter. That set the precedent for the rest of the game,” said Indiana coach Bill Lynch. “We had started the first four games very well. We had scored first and had good drives.

“We didn’t start the game well by giving up a drive and a score. Then we went three-and-out where we had a couple of opportunities to get a first down in that first series and didn’t.”

In all, Ohio State gained 111 yards in its first two drives against the Hoosiers, using a combination of passing and a power running game.

“One of the things we knew by playing Ohio State is we didn’t have to take the early lead, but certainly wanted it to be even through the first quarter and try to get our feet underneath us,” Lynch said. “I think sometimes your kids can get so excited for a game that they don’t play as well as they are capable of.

“I think that was a part of the bad start. Maybe our players were too emotional and did not get their feet underneath them.”

While UVa stumbled to its 0-3 start, Indiana was perfect in its three games before losing at Michigan and to Ohio State.

It was not a colossal setback in the eyes of the players.

“Watching the film of the last two losses, it’s all been fundamental stuff,” said offensive lineman Justin Pagan. “It’s stuff that can be corrected. It’s not drastic…these last two losses have been fundamental issues.

“If we get those straightened out, we’ll be fine.”

Indiana, a program that won just three games last year, hopes to use a victory over Virginia to return to the postseason for the second time in over a decade.

That will not come with ease, according to Lynch, offering the expected pre-game coach mantra.

“Virginia is a team I think is really coming on,” Lynch said. “They are well-coached and coach [Al] Groh has great experience and success at all the different levels.

“Virginia’s win against North Carolina was impressive because North Carolina is a top-25 team. They went into Chapel Hill and held North Carolina to three points and really played hard. That is one aspect I saw is that they played with great enthusiasm.”

What the Cavaliers encompassed prior to beating UNC also impressed Lynch.

“TCU is a great football team and have not lost many football games in the last few years. The Southern Mississippi game was on the road and was a shootout. So, sometimes records are deceiving, but I think [Virginia] is the football team we saw on tape versus North Carolina.”

In a similar fashion to Virginia thus far, a program that ranks No. 8 against the pass, defense has set the tone for Indiana.

Luckily for the Hoosiers, the 3-4 defense that the Cavaliers employ is not completely unknown.

“We have played [against the 3-4] some this year, but this defense is a little different than ones we have played,” Lynch said. “They are very sound and have a great secondary. They are a tough team to throw against and convert against.

“They offer a great nickel package, so we have to stay ahead of the chains.”