'Craziest Catch I've Ever Seen': Omar Cooper Jr. Saves Indiana Football at Penn State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The more Rolijah Hardy reflected, the more his astonishment seemed to grow. What started as a "good catch" to Indiana football's sophomore linebacker became a "great catch" and, ultimately, a "one-of-a-kind-type catch."

The kind of catch that already has a nickname: The Catch. The leaping, extending, toe-tapping, laws-of-physics-defining snag made by Indiana redshirt junior receiver Omar Cooper Jr. on Saturday afternoon in the back of Beaver Stadium's north endzone.

In a game marked by dramatic ebbs and flows, there was nothing more awe-striking, more worthy of admiration, than Cooper's game-winning catch with 36 seconds remaining as No. 2 Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) secured a 27-24 win over Penn State (3-6, 0-6 Big Ten) in Happy Valley.

So, about Hardy's adjectives? Still not good enough.

"That's phenomenal," senior linebacker Aiden Fisher said with a wide smile. "He downplayed it. That's a really good catch."

We’re still here 🤯

Relive Omar Cooper Jr.’s game-winning TD for @IndianaFootball👇 pic.twitter.com/O6m1pZhkN0
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 8, 2025

Facing 3rd and Goal from Penn State's 7-yard line, Cooper aligned in the right slot. Indiana redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza dropped back to pass and faced quick pressure. Forced into a jump-throw while pedaling back, Mendoza threw accurately enough to give Cooper a chance.

Then, the 6-foot, 204-pound Cooper made some magic happen.

"I knew where I was on the field, so when I went up for the ball, I just tried to get my feet as far inside as I could," Cooper said postgame, trying to explain the seemingly unexplainable. "And just come down, make sure I came down with it. I was (able) to do that."

The officials initially ruled Cooper's catch as a touchdown, but it underwent a thorough review. All the while, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti didn't let his mind lose focus.

"At that point, you're just getting the next call ready," Cignetti said postgame. "And, like, what hash is the ball going to be on, which took a while to get an answer to. But I thought the officials were great. You're getting ready in case it doesn't go your way — all the time — on the review. "

Cooper saw the replay on the big screen hanging above the stands on Beaver Stadium's north side.

"It was a really close call," Cooper said. "And I felt like it wasn't enough to overturn it. And so, it was a blessing to be able to make that play."

Cooper, who finished the game with six catches for 32 yards, overcame a slow start to make an impact. He had only four catches for four yards entering the Hoosiers' final drive, and he had a would-be touchdown bounce off his fingertips in the second quarter.

Yet Cooper rose to the occasion when Indiana needed him most.

The Hoosiers immediately dug a hole on their final offensive possession, as Mendoza took a seven-yard sack to set up 2nd and 17. Then, the switch flipped. Mendoza delivered a strike to Cooper on the right seam, gaining 22 yards and creating positive momentum early in the possession.

His HEISMENDOZA moment 🏆👀

Relive @indianafootball's game-winning drive lead by Fernando Mendoza 🔥 pic.twitter.com/StuhB4724R
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 8, 2025

Mendoza spread the wealth thereafter, hitting redshirt senior receiver E.J. Williams Jr. for a 12-yard gain, connecting with redshirt senior tight end Riley Nowakowski for a 29-yard pickup over the middle and completing a jump ball with sophomore wideout Charlie Becker down the left side.

But with the game — along with Indiana's undefeated season and a chance to get its first-ever road win over Penn State — hanging in the balance, Mendoza went back to Cooper.

The Indianapolis native met the moment.

"That catch was probably the craziest catch I've ever seen in my entire life," Becker said. "I mean, the body control that Omar has is just unreal. Like, I can't even put into words. It was crazy."

Cooper said it's the best catch of his college career. His back-flipping, head-landing catch against Michigan in 2023 previously held the spot, but the magnitude and difficulty of his game-winning grab Saturday cements its place at the top.

"The fact I was able to control my body and get a foot in bounds and also catch the ball and score," Cooper said, "that's just definitely got to be my favorite play in my career so far."

It may be one of Cignetti's, too. The 64-year-old coach is no stranger to showing emotions on the sideline — frustration with officials perhaps the most common — but he rarely celebrates.

Cooper's touchdown catch prompted Cignetti to raise both arms, and after the game, he called the Hoosiers' victory the most improbable of his career — clinched by one of the most difficult, most improbable grabs in program history.

Or, to some, The Catch.

"It was a great catch," Cignetti said, "and to keep that toe in bounds, you got to be a real special player to do that.”