The Penn State Football Report Card vs. No. 2 Indiana

The Nittany Lions had victory in their grasp. Then the Hoosiers took it with a fabulous finish.

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

STATE COLLEGE | As Penn State interim coach Terry Smith said Saturday, it's blades of grass at this point. Like the blade that tripped linebacker Amare Campbell from a potential interception in the final minute. Or the blade that Indiana receiver Omar Cooper Jr. clipped with his toes for the game-winning touchdown.

Penn State's 27-24 loss to Indiana turned into a high-octane gem, even though the anticipated high stakes of September had been neutralized. The Nittany Lions (3-6) brought the crowd back, flustered the unbeaten Hoosiers and came within a few blades of grass from upsetting the nation's second-ranked team.

"We go through the emotions, the ups, downs, then you're really high like, 'Oh, man, we're about to win this game, about to beat the No. 2 team in the country,'" Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton said. "And then they go down, drive the field and score."

How to process it all? With a report card. Here are Penn State's grades from their sixth straight loss, one that easily could have been a win.

RELATED: At Penn State, a frustrated locker room sick of losing

OFFENSE: B

SINGLETON DOES IT AGAIN 😱@PennStateFball HAS TAKEN THE LEAD VS No. 2 INDIANA pic.twitter.com/scQAMIOjDg

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 8, 2025

This really was a breakthrough, particularly in the second half. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer came of age, running back Nicholas Singleton finally generated some draft film and receiver Trebor Pena had three reception of 20+ yards, each one surpassing his total yardage in the previous five games.

Center Nick Dawkins said that Penn State wanted to play a patient first half, running plays (especially some outside zone) to draw down Indiana's safeties and open the vertical passing game. It worked. Grunkemeyer completed three passes of 20+ yards in the second half and was 12-for-14 during a stretch after his interception.

Singleton scored three times (joining Saquon Barkley as the only Penn State players with 50 career touchdowns) and broke his first run longer than 20 yards this season. Singleton looked like himself on a 59-yard burst that set up his second touchdown. In all, Penn State outgained Indiana 217-157 in the second half, took big swings and looked like the offense coordinator Andy Kotelnicki promised in August.

It wasn't all crisp. Running back Kaytron Allen fumbled for the first time this season, Grunkemeyer let an interception get away from him early in the third quarter and a wayward 3rd-and-9 play gave Indiana the ball back with 1:51 remaining. A step forward overall, but still not quite there.

RELATED: What they said after Penn State's loss to Indiana

DEFENSE: B+

FERNANDO MENDOZA IS PICKED OFF 😱@PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/qk00xnycpu

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 8, 2025

Coordinator Jim Knowles called more blitzes (run and pass) than he has all season, leading Penn State to make eight tackles for loss against a team that entered the game allowing 3.2. Safety King Mack made a superb second-half interception, Campbell had 1.5 tackles for loss, Zane Durant blotted Indiana's run game and Dani Dennis-Sutton had his first sack since the FIU game in Week 2.

Yet once again, the Nittany Lions' defense couldn't close out a lead (recall Oregon, Northwestern and Iowa). Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza dazzled on the final drive, getting two toe-tap catches from Cooper and fellow receiver Charlie Becker (seven receptions, 118 yards). But how close they got.

Durant's first-down sack should have flustered Mendoza, but he retaliated with a 22-yard completion. Campbell had a line on a ball tipped by freshman end Yvan Kemajou but couldn't hold his footing. And Mack and Zion Tracy sandwiched Mendoza on third down, yet the quarterback still got off perhaps the best throw (and catch) of the Big Ten season. It took one of the best plays you'll see to beat Penn State.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A-

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) runs with the ball during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

In a game of miniscule margins, what happens if Gabe Nwosu's final punt had gone 62 yards instead of 63? The touchback gave the Hoosiers the ball at the 20-yard line and a chance, upon which they capitalized. Ryan Barker made a 36-yard field goal and continues to be a player the next coaching staff should prioritize. Singleton generated 50 yards on kickoff returns, including a 33-yarder that set up the team's first touchdown. Even Pena made some noise with a 16-yard punt return.

COACHING: B

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Terry Smith talks with an official during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Kotelnicki had a much better second half when he, as Smith said succintly, "made calls to throw the ball down the field." Knowles bent over backward to pressure Mendoza, who stood up to it (and got up from it) time after time. Smith might have managed the clock a bit better late in the second and fourth quarters but still kept his team from unraveling down by 13 points in the second half.

OVERALL: B+

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) celebrates in the end zone after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

That Penn State played its best game of the season and still lost underscored just how unyielding 2025 has been. Five of the Nittany Lions' six losses have been by six points or less. They led in the fourth quarter or overtime in four of them. Yet they keep coming back to bang their heads once more.

What does Penn State have left? We'll see next week at Michigan State.