The play summed up Indiana’s season.

The Hoosiers were looking to go up three touchdowns midway through the third quarter at Iowa, which was unbeaten and ranked No. 4 in the Bowl Championship Series at the time.

Ben Chappell dropped back to pass and got hit from behind by A.J. Edds. The ball ricocheted off the left hand of Iowa’s Chris Ballard, then the right shoulder of IU’s James Brewer, Chappell’s right arm, off the back of Edds and into the hands of Iowa’s Tyler Sash, who returned it 86 yards for a Hawkeyes’ touchdown.

The breaks, it seemed all year, just didn’t go Indiana’s way.

Indiana went 4-8, 1-7 in the Big Ten. For fans, this will be the season of “what-ifs.”

What if the refs would have awarded Damarlo Belcher with possession with less than two minutes remaining against Michigan?

What if Mitchell Evans didn’t get tripped up at Northwestern’s 2 on a fourth-down play?

And what if Chappell’s pass against Iowa would have fallen to the ground for an incomplete pass?

But none of that happened.

Instead, officials ruled Michigan’s Donovan Warren intercepted Chappell’s pass intended for Belcher, essentially ending IU’s Sept. 26 upset bid in Ann Arbor.

Instead, Evans fell short of the goal line while scrambling for a score that would have put IU up 15 late in the third quarter in Evanston. The Wildcats rallied for a 29-28 victory, pulling ahead with a field goal with 19 seconds to go.

And Chappell’s pass at Iowa started shifting momentum the Hawkeyes’ way. Iowa pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 42-24 victory.

IU held fourth-quarter leads at Michigan, Northwestern and Iowa. And lost all three.

The Hoosiers won just one more game than they did in 2008. Yet, there was progress that went beyond the victory total.

Chappell became a solid Big Ten quarterback. He finished with 2,941 passing yards and 17 touchdowns.

Wide receiver Tandon Doss earned All-Big Ten first-team media honors with 962 yards and five touchdowns.

Fellow receiver Damarlo Belcher – from North Side – had 770 yards. Heralded back Darius Willis battled injuries and finished with 607 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

All four will be back.

The defense will have some holes to fill. Defensive ends Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton, linebackers Matt Mayberry and Will Patterson and defensive backs Ray Fisher, Austin Thomas and Nick Polk were all seniors.

IU has made an effort of redshirting freshmen. Defensive tackle Adam Replogle was the only true freshman to play this season. The young players will get the chance to prove themselves next season.

“I don’t want anyone to think up and down the hallways of this complex that we are satisfied with 4-8,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “… However, I am going to say we are going to continue to work hard every day from now until we come together again to build on the progress we have made.”

lpope@jg.net