Cleaning Up

IU coach Terry Hoeppner might have changed the atmosphere around his football team last year, but he was unable to change the team's fortunes during the Big Ten portion of the season. \nThe 2005 Hoosier squad managed just one win during conference play, ended the season on a six-game losing streak and finished in last place in the Big Ten with a 1-7 record. \nThis year, the Hoosiers are ready to put those struggles behind them and learn from last season's mistakes. \n"We can learn from last year," senior offensive lineman Justin Frye said. "It's tough to win games in the Big Ten. I think we can use last year as a real big teaching tool."\nThe Hoosiers began last season 3-0 before conference play started, then lost to Wisconsin on the road in the Big Ten opener. They then beat Illinois in Bloomington for homecoming before starting a slide they would never be able to recover from. \nDuring the losing streak, the offense averaged only 16 points per game while the defense gave up an average of 42. \nThis season, as Big Ten play approaches, IU is looking to shore up things on both sides of the ball to avoid another dismal Big Ten record. \n"You always like to clean it up -- everything, whether it's missed assignments or mistakes," senior safety Eric McClurg said. "Those things will always hurt you in the Big Ten. We just need to polish everything off." \nOne area in particular the coaching staff is looking to clean up is the number of penalties from both the offense and defense. In the past, penalties have both stalled potential scoring drives and allowed the opponents to extend their own drives, they said. \n"We've had quite a few penalties that have killed some drives for us," wide receivers coach Bill Lynch said. "Coach Hoeppner always says it; we want to be a smart football team." \nIU will try to have everything cleaned and polished before it takes the field against Wisconsin at Memorial Stadium to open conference play Sept. 30. \nFrom there, the schedule features the same teams as last year. Iowa, Michigan State and Michigan will all travel to Bloomington, while IU hits the road to face Illinois, Ohio State, Minnesota and Purdue. Both Northwestern and Penn State are left off the schedule for the second year in a row.\nRoad conference games have been particularly tough for the Hoosiers. They have not won a game on the road against a Big Ten opponent since beating then-No. 22 Michigan State 37-28 on Nov. 21, 2001. \nWhen IU travels to West Lafayette to conclude the season against in-state rival Purdue, it will try to reclaim the Old Oaken Bucket for the first time since 2001. Purdue won in Bloomington last season 41-14.\nRight now the team has its eyes set on improvement in the Big Ten. If the Hoosiers are able to do that, it could potentially mean an extra game on the schedule: a bowl game. \n"(A bowl game) would be instrumental in a plethora of ways," Frye said. "It would be good not only for me personally, but to set a foundation here"