In 2009, Indiana entered the fourth quarter with a lead in four Big Ten games. Three of those games ended in losses; the lone victory was over 3-9 Illinois.
Perhaps no game was as emblematic of the Hoosiers’ 2009 campaign as their loss in Kinnick Stadium last fall. Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi threw five interceptions, and Bill Lynch’s squad entered the fourth quarter holding a comfortable 24-14 lead.
Indiana lost, 42-24.
So it seems fitting that the Hoosiers’ theme for 2010 is to win the fourth quarter. They even created workout shirts with the word “Finish” printed on them. It’s a not-so-subtle hint at how Indiana can avoid a third-consecutive last-place finish in the Big Ten.
“I think that was something that went into our weight training, went into our running,” senior quarterback Ben Chappell said earlier this month at the Big Ten media days. “We know that we were close last year, and it really came down to finishing in the fourth quarter.”
Lynch, who’s entering his fourth year in Bloomington, said, “We were about 12 plays away from playing in a really good bowl game.”
More often than not, Indiana’s defense was the reason behind the team’s late-game collapses. The unit gave up 53 fourth-quarter points in the three fourth-quarter losses. The Hoosier defense couldn’t get off the field on third down, allowing the highest third-down conversion percentage in the conference (47.5).
Since being hired in 2007, Lynch’s defense has never finished higher than ninth in the conference in total defense. Indiana is hoping its switch to a 3-4 scheme will change that.
“We’re going to have a different style of defense, a different personality, and some new faces that I think are going to be important,” Lynch said.
The Hoosiers are experiencing far less change on the offensive side of the ball. That’s because Chappell, the 23-year-old quarterback, returns for his final year on campus. The senior didn’t post big numbers in 2009, but he completed 62.6 percent of his passes.
Perhaps more importantly, Chappell led the fourth-best passing offense in the Big Ten. Chappell’s biggest targets from last season — Tandon Doss, Damarlo Belcher, and Terrance Turner — all return. The trio combined for 184 catches and 2,175 yards in 2009.
Doss, who snagged 77 balls for 962 yards last year, is on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
“If we have a great offense, we want our defense to be just as great, if not better,” senior linebacker Tyler Replogle. “That’s definitely something that motivates us and will continue to motivate us throughout camp.”
Still, the Hoosiers’ offense isn’t without flaws.
Most notably, Indiana struggled inside the red zone, scoring only 77 percent of the time — the second-worst mark in the conference and 93rd in the country. Chappell threw two of his 15 interceptions inside the 20-yard line.
Of Indiana’s 44 red-zone posessions, only half ended in touchdowns.
“We need to score touchdowns in the red zone,” Chappell said. “Between the 20s, we moved the ball pretty well last year against some pretty good defenses.”
Indeed, an offense with returning firepower and a defense with a new scheme have Hoosier fans hopeful for a turnaround.
But Lynch knows the difference between a disappointing and successful season ultimately lies in the way his team finishes games.
“When you look back at it, it wasn’t that we weren’t good enough,” he said. “It wasn’t that we didn’t have good enough players. It was a matter of we didn’t make those plays.”