Column: Loss to Virginia familiar, but more encouraging
The Hoosiers took a different path to get there, but ultimately, the result was the same. They lost to Virginia in the most ridiculous of ways.
The Hoosiers took a different path to get there, but ultimately, the result was the same. They lost to Virginia in the most ridiculous of ways.
In a game where momentum ebbed and flowed with the turnover battle, IU’s turnover-fueled comeback in the second half was effectively negated by a turnover of its own.
Virginia’s senior defensive end Cam Johnson sacked Wright-Baker and forced a fumble with 1:13 remaining in the game. The Cavaliers recovered at the IU 14-yard line. They ran down the clock and kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired to secure a 34-31 victory, spoiling a 21-point fourth-quarter IU comeback.
A 24-yard field goal in the final two seconds of the game helped the University of Virginia edge IU.
IU lost to Virginia Saturday.

Football beat reporters Alex McCarthy and Max McCombs and columnist Justin Albers discuss last week’s loss to Ball State and preview Saturday’s home opener against Virginia in the inaugural edition of the Hoosier Hype podcast.
With conference play on the horizon, the IU women’s soccer team has little time left to ensure they are prepared for the rigors of a Big Ten season.
One week after sweeping the IU Classic at home, the IU women’s volleyball team returns this weekend to welcome Gonzaga, Niagara and Eastern Illinois at the Hoosier Classic.
In the midst of a busy golf season, 12 professionals will take a break from their usual competition Friday at the Spikes for Speakers Golf Classic, benefiting the Delta Gamma Lectureship in Values and Ethic.
After two wins last weekend in the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic against St. Louis and Dayton, the No. 10-ranked men’s soccer team is back in action this weekend in South Bend for the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament. They will face Bucknell and Denver.
The Hoosiers will open their fall season this weekend at the Northern Intercollegiate in Aurora, Ill. Northern Illinois will have the 54-hole stroke play event at Rich Harvest Farms, a par-72 course listed among Rolex World’s Top 1000 Golf Courses.
Ranked for the first time this season, No. 19 IU travels to the west coast to face No. 16 Stanford and UC Berkeley.
Two seasons ago, the Hoosiers travelled to Charlottesville, Va., for a seemingly even matchup between two teams looking for a non-conference statement win. They left with a 47-7 loss, managing barely half as many yards on offense as the Cavaliers, a team that would go on to a 3-9 record and fire their coach following the season.
The Cardinals rushed for 210 yards while the Hoosiers ran for 103 yards. That’s a result they hope to avoid when Virginia visits Memorial Stadium to kick off IU’s home schedule at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The fact is, IU has always had a pretty good offense. The Hoosiers lose because they rarely have a defense to match it.
Yes, it’s on the schedule, but that doesn’t mean it actually matters. That is the stance IU Coach Ron Helmer is taking as his team prepares for Saturday’s Indiana Open in Bloomington.
The Hoosiers will kick off the season when they play Stony Brook at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 at Assembly Hall. IU will also get the chance to square off against other in-state foes in non-conference play.
Months and months of the offseason had millions of people hoping for a good outcome for a variety of reasons. Some may have been financially motivated, and some may have been socially motivated, but nevertheless it would have been difficult to fill the void NFL teams would have left.
IU’s experienced offensive line struggled to defend sophomore quarterback Edward Wright-Baker, allowing four sacks. But the Hoosiers’ attitude is that they are done dwelling and are considering the next task — a Virginia team that won its season opener against William & Mary, 40-3.
The 2011-12 IU men’s basketball schedule was released today.