What Indiana Running Back Jaylin Lucas Said After Loss to Ohio State

The Indiana football team and Jaylin Lucas lost their season opener to coach Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes 23-3 on Saturday. After the game, dynamic running back and special teams return man Jaylin Lucas spoke to media.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana football lost Ohio State 23-3 on Saturday inside Memorial Stadium. It was a solid defensive showing for coach Tom Allen and the Hoosiers, but that was ultimately drowned out by a dismal offensive performance. 

By the game's end, Indiana only had 153 total yards of offense, eight first downs and, of course, a mere three points. 

One of the most important contributors to Indiana's offense is sophomore Jaylin Lucas. The lilliputian speedster finished the the season opener with 11 carries for just 24 yards, and one reception for a single yard. Lucas did, however, show off the most enthralling part of his game — his abilities as a returner on special teams.

Lucas returned three kickoffs for 38 yards and had a long of 16 yards, while his 29-yard punt return was one of the Hoosiers' most exciting plays of the day. 

Here's everything Lucas had to say to media following the 20-point loss:

On cramping up during the game against Ohio State:

"Cramping don't really mean nothing. I hydrated well before this game, just gotta hydrate way more."

On his mindset as kickoff and punt returner:

"I'm confident every time that I touch the ball that I'm going to make something happen. Special teams is a key part to the game, but I just want to have a winning mentality here."

On what the offense needs to do better moving forward:

"I feel like we just need to start fast. Just make less mistakes, and we need to execute."

On how quarterbacks Brendan Sorsby and Tayven Jackson played in their first game:

"I think both of them did well. They just made little mistakes, but we can just stick to what we have."

On his big takeaway from the game:

"Yeah it was really the little mistakes that killed us, especially the ones on special teams."

On supporting Sorsby and Jackson at quarterback:

 "[I] just tell them to be confident each and every day, and just do your role. Just make this team as best as we can be."

On Indiana's triple option looks:

"Yeah I love being a part of that [triple option]. Getting open out to the edge, I feel like that's a big factor to my skill set. And it's gonna work, it just takes time and preparation."

After yesterday's game, Indiana's Jaylin Lucas said that he loves being a part of the triple option offense the team was trying out, and that he believes it's gonna work. #IUFB pic.twitter.com/owJ7NW0sNz

— Dan Olinger (@dan_olinger) September 3, 2023

On what lessons Indiana can take from this loss to Ohio State:

"It's a building block. I feel like Ohio State — they ain't what I expected. I expected way more from them. In the first half, I feel like we should have came back and finished more. Just learning how to finish [on offense]."

On if there's anything specifically limiting the Indiana offense right now:

"I feel like we have everything that we need, we just need to find the gel of the team. It's just the first game, and we gonna come back hard."

On his overall feel from the game:

"We ain't do too bad, we just got to make plays."

On himself not scoring a touchdown in the game:

"I don't worry about always scoring [for myself]. Like that's not my thing. I just want to be the best teammate I can be and provide a winning edge here."

On how he would grade himself as a punt returner in the game:

"I would grade myself [with] a B, but I expect a little bit more [from myself]. 

Related Stories on Indiana Football:

• GAME STORY: The Indiana football team lost to No. 3 Ohio State 23-3 in Bloomington on Saturday in the 2023 season opener. Coach Tom Allen and the Hoosiers had their moments, and even held it to a one-score game through the third quarter, but ultimately, the team was doomed by bad quarterback play from Tayven Jackson and Brendan Sorsby. CLICK HERE
• SORSBY STARTS FOR IU IN WEEK 1: The secretive quarterback battle in Bloomington leading up to the 2023 season opener resulted in redshirt freshman Brendan Sorsby stepping out onto the field for the Hoosiers in their first snap against the Ohio State Buckeyes. CLICK HERE
• WATCH PHILLIP DUNNAM'S WEEK 1 INTERCEPTION: The true sophomore safety picked off Ohio State's Kyle McCord midway through the second quarter in what ended up being Indiana's best play of the game. CLICK HERE