"Breakthrough" was the theme of spring practice for IU football.
It was the theme of summer workouts, fall camp and the season opener against No. 2 Ohio State.
Should IU Coach Tom Allen have his way, it will be the mindset throughout the 2017 season.
"I'm not going to quit talking about it because breakthrough is not one game," Allen said. "Breakthrough is a mindset and breakthrough is a culture and breakthrough is an expectation and that's where we're headed to."
This week's breakthrough mission takes IU to Charlottesville, Virginia, for a road matchup with Atlantic Coast Conference opponent Virginia. It's the third-straight year the Hoosiers are facing an ACC team, as the Hoosiers split a pair of meetings against Wake Forest in 2015 and 2016.
Those two games highlighted the best and worst of the IU program. The 2015 road win at Wake Forest appeared to put IU on an easy road to six wins, but the Hoosiers then lost their first six Big Ten Conference games afterwards.
Last year's home loss to the Demon Deacons exposed serious flaws in now-senior quarterback Richard Lagow's accuracy, as he set a school record for passing yards with 496, but also threw five interceptions.
"My mindset is I'll do whatever it takes to win a football game," Lagow said. "We have a lot to build on moving forward."
The early returns on Lagow this season have been promising. While Lagow was forced to attempt an IU-record 65 passes in the loss to Ohio State, he threw the ball more accurately than in 2016.
Lagow completed 40 of those passes for over 400 yards and three touchdowns, and both of his interceptions were not the sole fault of the quarterback.
However, the offense stalled in the second half and struggled to gain first downs, leaving IU's defense having to repeatedly take the field against a high-powered Buckeye offense.
"When you're trying to get in rhythm as a tempo offense, you have to get first downs," Allen said. "When you don't get first downs, you can't go fast."
Consistency is another trait Lagow is keen to improve on this season. The Plano, Texas, native had only two instances of posting consecutive games in which he completed at least 60 percent of his passes last season.
Those came against the teams IU should have had success passing the ball against — Florida International, Ball State, Maryland and Rutgers.
This weekend will reveal if Lagow can carry the positives from his showing against the Buckeyes forward into this weekend's meeting with the Cavaliers, a defense that allowed 8.4 yards per pass attempt last season.
But Lagow will need help to continue IU's breakthrough mentality this season. According to Allen, this means winning more first downs on offense by gaining at least four yards or winning first downs on defense by limiting the opposition to three or less yards.
With Virginia's offensive and defensive lines lacking as much size and depth as the Ohio State units bolstered, IU expects to be more effective running the ball as well.
Allen also warned the Hoosiers against lacking energy for Saturday's game after such a high-profile season opener.
Ohio State wasn't the only visitor to Bloomington last week, as ESPN broadcast the game on six different channels. By comparison, this weekend's visit to Virginia is only on national television after a previously scheduled game was canceled due to Hurricane Irma in Florida.
Allen said he doesn't want his team to overreact based on last week's loss.
"There's going to be disappointments, and we definitely embrace those head-on," Allen said. "I think that you just have to be a football team that understands it's a long season."
