Indiana has hit a rough patch.

As the schedule has increased in difficulty, the results have matched. The Hoosiers have lost 3 straight games, including the trouncing at the hands of Michigan on Saturday afternoon in Memorial Stadium. Where does IU get rolling again? Perhaps vs. Maryland at home next week or with a trip to Rutgers the following week. The reality is that Indiana likely needs to win at least 1, if not both, if it hopes to gain bowl eligibility this season.

Let’s take a look at 3 things to like and 3 not to like following the 31-10 loss to the Wolverines.

3 things to like …

Half the game

As has been the trend for Indiana this season, the Hoosiers have played 1 half of solid football every game. It was good enough in the first 3 weeks of the year, when poor 1st halves were followed by very good 2nd halves and the Hoosiers beat Illinois, Idaho and Western Kentucky.

And Indiana was great in the 1st half vs. Michigan, playing the Wolverines to a 10-all tie. The Hoosiers scored on consecutive drives in the 1st quarter, going 76 yards on 10 plays for a Connor Bazelak-to-Josh Henderson 11-yard touchdown, then another 52 to set up a Charles Campbell field goal. Indiana had a chance to take the lead after Bazelak directed another 74-yard drive, but Campbell’s try from 24 yards out was blocked. But in those 3 drives alone, Indiana totaled 202 yards, moving the ball effectively vs. Michigan’s generally stout defense.

It was a great sign that the Hoosiers could hang with the Wolverines.

Jaylin Lucas’s bigger role

Indiana needs to continue to force-feed Jaylin Lucas, making the freshman running back a bigger and bigger piece of the offense.

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound running back was Indiana’s leading rusher vs. UM, with 45 yards on 4 attempts, although most came on 1 carry, a 39-yarder. But Lucas also had 3 catches for 20 yards and a kickoff return for 20. He’s one of Indiana’s most electrifying players, and for a team in need of offensive playmakers, especially out of the backfield, he needs to get as many touches as possible.

Stepping up

Indiana was without star linebacker Cam Jones, whose foot injury will keep him on the sideline for multiple weeks.

But the Hoosiers’ defense, especially in the 1st half, embraced the challenge. It flew to the football, playing fundamentally sound in its assignments and keeping the Wolverines from big plays.

Not sure it’s much on the defense that Indiana fell apart in the 2nd half. Without the ability to keep the ball, and keep the defense fresh, the Hoosiers’ defenders wore down quickly.

But Indiana had some great individual performances, like linebacker Bradley Jennings Jr.’s 13-tackle, 1-PBU day, as he helped fill the void left by Jones’s absence.

3 things not to like …

The other half of the game

It’s all maddening for coach Tom Allen, who feels like he has a team that could win games if it could play complete games, but 30 minutes per Saturday, especially against Big Ten opponents, just isn’t going to be enough.

The inconsistencies have been glaring during the 3-game losing streak: Indiana gave up 28 points in the 2nd quarter in a loss at Cincinnati; it was outscored 14-0 in the 2nd half at Nebraska after being tied at the half; and after being in a 10-all tie vs. Michigan Saturday, the Wolverines scored all 21 of the game’s points after halftime.

IU was miserable in the 2nd half vs. Michigan. The Hoosiers totaled only 53 yards on 28 plays after halftime, as their drives ended with 5 consecutive punts before Bazelak was sacked late in the game to turn the ball over on downs. Meanwhile, UM picked the Indiana defense apart, with time-consuming touchdown drives of 98 , 56 and 60 yards, as the Wolverines possessed the ball for more than 21 minutes, including 12 in the 4th quarter.

The O-line

This is a broken record at this point, but the Hoosiers aren’t going to be able to win without a stable offensive line.

And again on Saturday, it melted down. Bazelak was sacked 7 times, resulting in 61 lost yards, a statistic that is nearly impossible to overcome. On the 3 solid 1st-half drives, which totaled 202 of Indiana’s 222 total yards, Bazelak was sacked only once and it was negated by a Michigan unsportsmanlike penalty a play later.

Lack of big plays

It’s likely tied to the struggles of the offensive line, but Bazelak couldn’t get the ball down the field vs. Michigan. Stands to reason when you don’t have much time in the pocket. But of Bazelak’s 203 passing yards, 125 came after the reception. It’s indicative of a passing game that was more horizontal than vertical.

Indiana wants to play fast and be aggressive on offense, but it’s becoming more and more difficult to accomplish.