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Saturday, Aug. 31
The Indiana Daily Student

sports

Team looks for first win

Optimism remains high despite struggling offense and defense

Much has been said about the season snowballing and confidence disappearing after the football team's 0-3 start.\nThe Hoosiers' offense has struggled, and its defense -- although improved -- is giving up too many key first downs.\nCoach Cam Cameron said he doesn't think about the potential for an 0-4, 0-5, 0-whatever start. His team's motto: There's no such thing as a bad day.\nCameron put a sign reading those words in the IU locker room after he saw the message at former assistant coach Pete Schmidt's house.\nSchmidt passed away last season, but Cameron still lives by those words.\n"I know the one way for it to start snowballing, if that is the way you want to word it, in a negative way, is to start thinking that way," Cameron said. "I\'ve just never had any success thinking of things negatively.\n"I am a realist though," he added. "We need to get our punting game solved. We need to find out ways to get people stopped on third down. We need to eliminate mistakes on offense. Just keep a consistent level of approach and try to keep getting better. You\'ve got to win one before you can win two."

Breaking records\nAntwaan Randle El entered his name in the NCAA record books against Ohio State with a 19-yard pass to Glenn Johnson.\nWith the completion, Randle El surpassed the 6,000-yard career passing mark, making him the only player in Division I-A history to throw for 6,000 yards and rush for 3,000 in a career. Randle El got his 3,000th rushing yard against Utah, when he ran for 69 yards.\nOnly five other players in Division I-A history have thrown for 4,000 yards and ran for 2,000 in their careers, while just one, Brian Mitchell, has thrown for 5,000 and ran for 3,000. Mitchell, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles and has been one of the NFL's top kick returners for the past decade, did so for Louisiana Lafayette.\n \nSelective memory\nIU hasn't had much success against Wisconsin recently.\nThe Hoosiers lost to the Badgers 43-22 last year and got demolished 59-0 at Madison the year before.\nWhen asked how much the blowout loss weighs on the team's mind, Randle El had this to say:\n"I think a couple years ago, we didn't move the ball consistently. We scored some points and we got a field goal here and there, but we've got to get touchdowns ..."\nA reporter corrected Randle El, letting him know the question was in reference to the blowout loss two years ago.\n"Oh, you're talking about up there," Randle El said. "I don't remember that game. That game happened too fast. I don't think about that one."\nA pause.\n"What was that, Oct. 16?"\nSomeone checks and tells Randle El he's right.\n"Some games," he said, "you don't forget"

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