Indiana Football Survives Penn State After Mendoza, Cooper Jr.'s Late-Game Heroics

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — With its hopes of an undefeated season resting on life support, No. 2 Indiana football used a late-game touchdown pass from Fernando Mendoza to Omar Cooper Jr. to scrape past Penn State.

The No. 2 Hoosiers (10-0, 7–0 Big Ten) notched a 27-24 victory over Penn State (3-6, 1-6 Big Ten) at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

Mendoza went 19-for-30 passing for 218 yards, one passing touchdown and an interception. He added a rushing score. Cooper caught six passes for 32 yards, none bigger than his seven-yard score with 36 seconds remaining to push the Hoosiers in front.

Penn State running back Nick Singleton scored three touchdowns — two on the ground and one through the air — while quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer went 22-for-31 passing for 219 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

Indiana played without preseason All-American senior receiver Elijah Sarratt, who’s battling a hamstring injury. Sophomore wideout Charlie Becker started in Sarratt’s place, catching seven passes for 118 yards.

Both teams started with punts on their first two possessions before Indiana opened the scoring on its third series as a 53-yard pass from Mendoza to Becker set up an 18-yard rushing touchdown for Mendoza.

Penn State answered with a 10-play, 67-yard touchdown drive capped by a two-yard run from Singleton, to draw the score even at 7-7.

The Hoosiers seized control thereafter. Two Penn State turnovers in three possessions — a fumble by running back Kaytron Allen and interception by Grunkemeyer — led to 10 points for Indiana, which initially regained the lead on a 13-play, 65-yard, eight-and-a-half-minute drive that ended with a 28-yard field goal by kicker Nico Ridicic.

Indiana’s offense left points on the board in the redzone, as it twice settled for field goals of 31 yards or less in the span of three drives.

Subsequently, Penn State hung around, and the Nittany Lions capitalized. Penn State put together a 10-play, 56-yard field goal drive and a five-play, 85-yard touchdown drive spearheaded by Singleton’s 59-yard run that pushed the Nittany Lions to the Hoosiers’ 3-yard line.

Indiana had a chance to douse cold water on Penn State’s flames. Instead, the Hoosiers poured gasoline.

Penn State defensive back King Mack intercepted Mendoza, giving the Nittany Lions the ball at Indiana’s 44-yard line. Seven plays later, Penn State took the lead, as Singleton scored a 19-yard catch-and-run touchdown to take a 24-20 edge.

The Hoosiers offense went only four plays before punting, but their defense stood tall, giving the ball back to Mendoza with just under two minutes remaining and the ball on Indiana’s 20-yard line.

And the Hoosiers delivered.

In only 75 seconds, Mendoza led the Hoosiers on a 10-play, 80-yard drive, capped by his under-duress, back-end-of-the-endzone throw to Cooper — one that made program history and saved an undefeated season.

Penn State failed to get into field goal range, and Grunkemeyer's last-gasp heave fell short, securing Indiana's unlikely victory.