Penn State nearly pulled off an upset of No. 2 Indiana. Here’s what worked and what didn’t.
It took a highlight reel play from the No. 2 Hoosiers to pull off what was their first-ever win inside Beaver Stadium. Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions are still looking for their first win since Sept. 13
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — In a season filled with heartbreaking losses, Penn State looked poised for its breakthrough moment — a signature victory over No. 2 Indiana.
But the Hoosiers’ go-ahead score with 36 seconds remaining, which gave them a 27-24 win on Saturday at Beaver Stadium, marked another deflating moment for the Nittany Lions in a campaign overflowing with them.
Penn State (3-6, 0-6 Big Ten) trailed 20-10 at the start of the fourth quarter until Nick Singleton broke a 59-yard run that set up his rushing touchdown two plays later. On the ensuing drive, the senior running back took a screen pass 19 yards to give the Nittany Lions a 24-20 lead.
With Beaver Stadium roaring, Fernando Mendoza launched a 7-yard strike to Omar Cooper Jr., who, despite being pushed out of bounds by Zakee Wheatley, tapped his toe in bounds to maintain Indiana’s (10-0, 7-0) perfect record and send Penn State to another crushing defeat.
“I’m super proud of the effort that our guys put out there,” interim head coach Terry Smith said. “We fought back from a 13-point [deficit] and just kept clawing, kept fighting, [which is] testimony to these kids in the locker room. They do everything we ask of them, and we just keep coming up short.”
The loss marked Penn State’s first six-game losing streak since 2004. It also marked the first time Indiana has won at Beaver Stadium in program history. At 3-6 with three games remaining, the Nittany Lions must win out to earn bowl eligibility.
‘They never quit’
While Smith was upset with the result, he left proud of his team’s effort. The Nittany Lions were a play away from defeating the No. 2 team in the nation, and in what many have called a lost season, Smith’s group never wavered.
“No one will ever question a Terry Smith team that they don’t play hard,” Smith said. “They could have easily quit. We were down, we had the interception, they could have laid down and quit, and they dared not do that.”
King Mack, who intercepted Mendoza in the fourth quarter, called Smith a “father figure to the team.” The safety said Smith has given Penn State the motivation to run through a brick wall, and on Saturday, that attitude showed.
“We’re gonna have adversity at times. Things aren’t gonna go the way you want to go, but Coach Terry has done a great job of just emphasizing that we’re not quitting,” Dennis-Sutton said. “You can’t quit in life, and if you quit now, you’re gonna be a quitter forever.”
Defense bounces back
The Nittany Lions forced just one punt in last week’s 38-14 loss to No. 1 Ohio State. It took them just two drives to double that total on Saturday, an improvement that started with Dennis-Sutton laying a crushing hit on Mendoza to force an opening-drive three-and-out.
Penn State held Indiana’s offense, which entered Saturday averaging 509.4 yards and an NCAA-best 46.4 points per game, to just 326 total yards. The Hoosiers’ 27 points marked their second-lowest scoring output this season.
But in the game’s defining moments, with the Beaver Stadium crowd on its feet and a four-point lead to protect, the Nittany Lions’ defense faltered. And to Dennis-Sutton, that was all that mattered.
“I think we had a decent game as a defense, but when it mattered, we didn’t show up,” Dennis-Sutton said. “And that’s what defense is about. You’ve got to show up in those tough times. [Indiana] had it at the 7-yard line, third down, and we didn’t show up. “
Offense finds its stride
Two weeks ago, Smith “demanded” offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki insert more vertical passing into his game plan. Against Ohio State, Smith’s demands were not met. But Saturday’s game marked a noticeable switch.
It looked like another week of screen passes and drag routes until Ethan Grunkemeyer connected with Trebor Peña on a 43-yard strike to set up Nick Singleton’s 2-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. On the team’s second scoring drive, Grunkemeyer tallied passes of 21 and 22 yards before Ryan Barker drilled a 26-yard field goal.
“We made calls to throw the ball down the field,” Smith said.
After tallying just one completion of 20 or more yards across his previous two starts, Grunkemeyer finished with six such completions against the Hoosiers. He completed 22 of his 31 pass attempts for 219 yards and a touchdown, both of which marked career bests.
Smith said his young QB “grew up” in the second half. Grunkemeyer elected praise for his teammates instead.
“We just played the No. 2 team in the country. [They have] a top 5 offense, top 5 defense and a Heisman contender at QB. So, just the questions about our buy-in as a team — I think right there, that goes to show the commitment our team has,” Grunkemeyer said. “Just super proud of those guys in that locker room. There isn’t anybody else I’d want to go to battle with.”
Up next...
Penn State hits the road for a matchup with Michigan State on Saturday (3:30 p.m., network TBD).