Despite Losing Streak, Season Goals Still In Reach

Memorial Stadium was like a bubble swelling with excitement.

The Hoosiers had conference foe and nationally ranked University of Michigan on the ropes in the fourth quarter. In anticipation fans gathered near the bottom of the stands, waiting for their chance to rush the field after Indiana’s breakthrough moment. All season this team had seemed on the cusp of getting an elusive win against a stacked Big Ten schedule. It seemed fitting that Senior Day would be when they finally put it all together and stop a five-game losing streak.

With 2:52 on the clock and Michigan getting the ball back, everyone in the stadium knew Indiana had left too much time on the clock to win in regulation.

Once in overtime, students felt an excitement about IU football that’s normally reserved for the team that plays across the parking lot.

4^th and 2, Indiana ball on the two yard line. Pop. That excitement bubble? It was popped by an incomplete pass and replaced with Wolverine fan cheers. IU fans began wondering aloud if they really expected anything different.

The Michigan game was sort of like a microcosm of this year’s football season. Always close, but never enough; this Indiana football team has taken almost every opponent excluding Penn State down to the wire. Opposing teams fans are calling the Hoosiers the best winless team in the conference.

That is not the accolade anyone on the team wanted, especially after the first undefeated start of the Kevin Wilson era. What seemed like a turning point season for the program has shaped up to be just like the other forgettable ones before it.

At 4-6, there are two games remaining in the season and a lot is on the line.

“We are very excited about the opportunities we have and the challenges ahead,” senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld said. “We are definitely just taking it one day at a time.”

Next opportunity for the Hoosiers? 2-8 Maryland. The next week Indiana takes on rival Purdue, who is also 2-8. There is plenty of reason to think that with only two relatively weak teams remaining on the schedule that Indiana can finish strong and achieve 6-6 and a bowl game appearance. The team however, isn’t looking that far ahead.

“We need to make sure guys don’t let their guard down because they’re 2-8,” Sudfeld said about Maryland. “Defensively they’re extremely good and aggressive.”

While defense may be the strength for the Terrapins, that isn’t necessarily saying much. Their total offense is ranked an abysmal 114^th while their total defense is ranked at about middle of the division one pack at 64^th.

Compare that to Indiana whose total offense is ranked 28^th and total defense is ranked 119^th. On paper, IU should pull this one out. But the game isn’t played on paper and the fact is small mistakes can cost a whole team.

IU secondary coach Brandon Shelby put it like this, “…if there are 55 passes and you do everything right 50 times but mess up 5, you’re giving up 3 or 4 touchdowns.”

The defense, specifically the secondary, has been inconsistent this year. That can probably be chalked up to youth as freshmen and sophomores are getting the bulk of the reps.

“These guys are 17, 18 years old going against seniors who are going to be lottery picks, so at the end of the day they can get overwhelmed,” Shelby said. “Unfortunately we are taking our lumps now but in a few years we are going to have some very good veterans back there.”

While all of this experience may pay dividends down the line, someone has to answer for the poor play this year. Shelby says that is his brunt to bear.

“I take full responsibility for us not doing a good job,” Shelby continued. “It’s not on those guys, I have got to do a better job coaching.”

Coaching is a really controversial topic around this program in the midst of a six game losing streak when the coaching staff will likely have their contracts either extended or terminated this offseason. Fans are pretty evenly split on what direction they’d like to see the program take.

Right now, Sudfeld says the coaches are instilling a winning attitude.

“Coach Wilson is doing a great job of facilitating a culture right now of us being a winning team.”

That may sound silly when historically IU football has anything but a winning culture, but if that is ever going to change, so too must the expectations that the team has for themselves.

Before any games were played this year, the fan base had hopes for being around 6-6 and bowling. After the four game win streak to start the year, optimism soared to perhaps unrealistic levels.

Despite the disappointment, that original goal is still achievable. And that’s progress.