Omar Cooper Jr. made a spectacular touchdown catch on a Fernando Mendoza pass with 36 seconds left to lift No. 2 Indiana to a thrilling 27-24 victory over Penn State on Saturday in University Park, Pa.
On the decisive play, Mendoza backpedaled with two defenders in his face and found Cooper for a toe-tapping 7-yard TD in the back of the end zone.
Charlie Becker, who made a terrific catch of his own on the winning drive, finished with seven grabs for 118 yards for the Hoosiers (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten). Mendoza was 19 of 30 for 218 yards with a touchdown on the ground, in addition to the clutch TD pass in the final seconds.
In the midst of a nightmare season, the Nittany Lions (3-6, 0-6) have lost six straight games — a stretch that has included the firing of coach James Franklin and the loss of quarterback Drew Allar to a season-ending injury. They rallied from a 20-7 deficit in this one to take a fourth-quarter lead before suffering a heartbreaking defeat.
Penn State’s Ethan Grunkemeyer was 22 of 31 for 219 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Nicholas Singleton collected 93 total yards and three scores for the hosts.
Penn State trailed 20-10 early in the fourth quarter when Singleton’s 59-yard run to the 1 set up his own TD plunge two plays later. King Mack then intercepted Mendoza near the sidelines, giving the ball back to the Nittany Lions.
Singleton evaded a pair of defenders en route to the go-ahead 14-yard score with 6:27 left. The Hoosiers punted on the ensuing drive, but they got one final chance — and they capitalized with one of the greatest plays in school history.
Indiana opened the scoring late in the first quarter on Mendoza’s 18-yard TD scramble. Early in the second, Singleton surged in for a 1-yard TD run, tying the game at 7-7.
The Hoosiers created some separation with two scores in the final three minutes of the half, capped by Kaelon Black’s 1-yard TD run that sent Indiana into the locker room with a 17-7 cushion.
The teams exchanged field goals in the third quarter, setting up the exciting finish.
–Field Level Media
