Will Indiana and Oregon Win Their Big Ten Matchup?
Joel Klatt took a look at the matchup between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Penn State Nittany Lions. He highlighted the challenges Indiana is facing, particularly with injuries to wide receiver Elijah Surratt and linebacker Aiden Fisher. These setbacks raised questions about their playoff chances.
In a thrilling game, Indiana narrowly defeated No. 2 Penn State with a score of 27-24 at Beaver Stadium. Indiana’s quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, along with wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., played crucial roles in the comeback.
With just under two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Penn State was leading 24-20. Indiana had no timeouts left. The drive began with a sack of Mendoza by Zane Durant, pushing the Hoosiers back seven yards. It didn’t look great initially.
However, Mendoza quickly regrouped, completing a 22-yard pass to Cooper, which not only negated the sack but also secured a first down. He then stopped the clock by spiking the ball.
On the subsequent play, he connected with EJ Williams Jr. for another first down, followed by a 29-yard gain to Riley Nowakowski, bringing them into Penn State territory.
Things were looking up as Mendoza then found Charlie Becker for a 17-yard gain, landing them at the Nittany Lions’ 7-yard line with only 45 seconds on the clock. Indiana had a real shot at clinching the game.
On second down, Mendoza apparently scored a touchdown by throwing to Becker, but the officials had to nullify the play due to a last-second timeout called by Penn State. Forced to regroup, Indiana faced third down.
With everything on the line, Mendoza delivered under pressure, finding Cooper in the end zone with a high pass. Cooper made an acrobatic catch, scoring a touchdown and completing the comeback.
After a last-minute drive, Penn State found themselves with the ball again but was unable to gain any significant yardage, and their Hail Mary attempt ultimately fell short.
Mendoza ended the game with 218 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, while Cooper had six receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown. With this victory, Indiana improves to 10-0, eyeing next week’s match against Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Penn State drops to 3-6 and will face Michigan State next.
