How it Happened: No. 2 Indiana defeats Penn State 27-24 after miraculous final drive

After an improbable last-minute touchdown, Indiana secured a 27-24 victory over Penn State.

The Hoosiers improved to 10-0 for the second straight season under Curt Cignetti, and the win marked the first time in program history that Indiana has beaten Penn State at Beaver Stadium.

Fernando Mendoza threw for 218 yards on 19-of-30 passing, adding the touchdown to Omar Cooper Jr. at the end that sealed the Hoosiers’ victory. Ethan Grunkemeyer totaled 219 yards on 22-of-31 passing with a touchdown as well.

Indiana’s ground game accounted for 218 yards, giving the Hoosiers 326 total yards for the game. Penn State outgained IU with 336 total yards from start to finish.

Despite that, Indiana refused to quit and escaped with a key road victory. It’s never easy in the Big Ten, but great teams find a way to win—and the Hoosiers did that on Saturday.

With that being said, here’s how it happened:

Offense allows for halftime lead despite slow start

For the second straight week, Indiana’s first two drives resulted in zero points, but once again, the Hoosiers started scoring after two disappointing series.

Mendoza may have gotten off to another slow start, but he flipped the switch on Indiana’s third offensive series. The Hoosier quarterback accounted for 66 of the 68 yards on the drive, including a 53-yard completion to Charlie Becker and an 18-yard touchdown rush to cap it off.

Mendoza was making plays with his legs as well as through the air, evading pressure left and right—something that made a huge difference in turning Indiana’s offense around in the first half.

He finished the first 30 minutes with 102 yards on 10-of-12 passing, as the offense did just enough to secure a 10-point lead despite another slow start. Elijah Sarratt’s presence may have been missed, but in the first half, it seemed like Indiana could afford his absence.

The Hoosiers led 17-7 at halftime after it scored on its final two drives of the second quarter, giving the offense a cushion that it ended up needing in the second half.

The final drive obviously speaks for itself in terms of why IU was able to win, but Indiana’s response after two ugly drives to start the game was integral in ensuring the Hoosiers secured the victory.

Defense impresses early, including two takeaways

Once again, Indiana’s defense early on was key to the Hoosiers’ win. When the offense was struggling to begin the game, the defense stepped up and made sure Penn State never built a lead.

It did allow a touchdown following Indiana’s first score, but after that, the defense carried the weight throughout the contest. It held Penn State to just 119 total yards in the first half, helping Indiana build a 17-7 halftime lead.

An even more important factor in securing that double-digit halftime advantage came when the Hoosiers forced a turnover on a Kaytron Allen reception. Jamari Sharpe made the tackle, and Aiden Fisher recovered the football after Allen lost control.

The offense scored on the ensuing possession, and IU stayed in control heading into halftime. On Penn State’s first drive of the second half, the Indiana defense forced another turnover—this time an interception by Fisher.

It seemed like that was exactly what Indiana needed to take command, but the Hoosiers settled for just a field goal and kept the Nittany Lions within striking distance despite the defense’s impressive play through three quarters.

Indiana gives up lead, but responds with last-second score

While it seemed like Indiana was in control for most of the game, the Hoosiers needed a miracle to secure the win.

Indiana led 20-7 with 8:41 left in the third quarter, but the combination of a stagnant offense and a faltering defense allowed Penn State to storm back and take the lead late in the fourth.

It started with a PSU field goal that cut Indiana’s lead to 10, and after the Hoosiers were forced to punt, Penn State had another chance to close the gap. The Lions capitalized with a Nicholas Singleton’s 59-yard rush, setting them up near the goal line to punch it in to make it 20-17.

Indiana still had a chance to make it a two-score game again, but on the second play of the drive, Mendoza threw an interception that gave the Nittany Lions the ball back. King Mack picked it off on the sideline, handing all the momentum to the home crowd.

Penn State capitalized with a touchdown seven plays later, as Singleton scored to give the Lions the lead with 6:27 left in the fourth. Indiana was on the ropes and needed to respond.

While the Hoosiers didn’t score on the ensuing drive, the defense stepped up before the two-minute warning and gave the offense one last chance. IU started its final drive at its own 20-yard line with 1:51 left—and Mendoza delivered.

He completed five passes on the drive, staying poised despite being sacked on the opening play. E.J. Williams, Riley Nowakowski, Becker, and Cooper Jr. all made key catches to move the Hoosiers downfield.

On third and goal from the Penn State seven, Mendoza escaped pressure and fired a bullet to the back of the end zone toward Cooper Jr. The wideout controlled his body and hauled it in, dragging his toe just before stepping out of bounds.

It was a spectacular play—and it allowed Indiana to escape Beaver Stadium with its first-ever road win over Penn State. More importantly, the Hoosiers are 10-0 for the second straight season after pulling off yet another miracle to defeat the Nittany Lions.

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