by committee

The schedule isn't getting any easier for IU. \nA week after falling at Connecticut to open the season, the football team will travel to Seattle to take on the No. 22 Huskies in their home opener Saturday. \nFor a team that lost by 24 points to UConn last week, it's a daunting task. But it's also an opportunity to turn around a disastrous start. Junior quarterback Matt LoVecchio said the chance to put the UConn loss behind them is a motivating factor for the players.\n"I think that's going to be important for us," he said. "We just have to go out and play as a unit and be efficient and play smart football."\nAnd although the Huskies are coming off of a loss themselves (28-9 at Ohio State), IU will still be facing one of the most successful schools in college football. The Huskies are the 12th winningest football program in history and have compiled a 43-5 home non-conference record in the last 22 years.\nThe team packs a major offensive punch with record-setting quarterback senior Cody Pickett and number one wide receiver junior Reggie Williams. Pickett became the first Pac-10 quarterback to eclipse 4,000 yards passing last year while Williams caught 11 touchdown passes. In the Buckeye loss, Pickett was 26 of 49 for 255 yards, 107 of which were caught by Williams. \nIU coach Gerry DiNardo said he expects quite an attack from the Washington offense.\n"Pickett is the real deal -- he is a Heisman candidate," DiNardo said. "Reggie Williams is the real deal. ... They are your typical, ranked Pac-10 team. There are not many weaknesses. They are very good players and athletes."\nFor IU, the Hoosiers will try and build on an offense that showed some positive signs in the second half of the UConn loss. DiNardo said the team would again rely on a running back by committee rotation in which senior Brian Lewis, sophomore Chris Taylor and true freshman BenJarvus Green-Ellis will all see time. He said that might be a theme for the whole game.\n"We will stick with (the rotation) this weekend," DiNardo said. "I am going to play a lot of guys this weekend, so bring your game program. We are going to shuffle guys in and out. We are bringing 70; I would like to play 55 or 60 guys, but certainly this week we are going to play three tailbacks. We are going to play multiple guys at multiple positions."\nTaylor led IU in rushing at UConn with 79 yards while junior wideout Travis Haney led the team in receiving with 99 yards. But, Haney also fumbled after a 44-yard catch in the fourth quarter. It's mistakes like those DiNardo hopes to correct this weekend.\n"I think this week if we don't fumble the ball, if we can secure the football, if we can do better in the red zone and do better on the goal line, it will be a good week on offense," he said. "On defense, if we cut our missed tackles down and big plays down, it will be a good week."\nSophomore linebacker Kyle Killion, who had 10 tackles against UConn, said the team expects nothing short of a challenge.\n"Our expectation is to go out there and do the best we can," Killion said. "It's a big challenge, but I like challenges. We just gotta give 'em hell."\n-- Contact staff writer Gavin Lesnick at glesnick@indiana.edu.