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What We Learned From Penn State's Stinging Loss to No. 2 Indiana

The Hoosiers score the game-winning touchdown with 36 remaining, sending Penn State to its sixth straight loss.
Mark Wogenrich|
Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Charlie Becker (80) makes a catch during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium.
Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Charlie Becker (80) makes a catch during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

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STATE COLLEGE | Penn State has lost some bitterly tight games this season, but No. 2 Indiana trumped them all Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Receiver Omar Cooper Jr. tapped both feet in the back of the end zone for a touchdown with 36 seconds remaining, lifting Indiana to an improbable 27-24 win over the Nittany Lions.

Penn State took the lead with 6:27 remaining on Nicholas Singleton's third touchdown of the game, and the defense followed with a critical stop. But Indiana regained possession with 1:51 remaining, and quarterback Fernando Mendoza led a 75-yard, game-winning drive. He benefitted from a pair of exceptional catches by Cooper in the end zone and 6-4 receiver end Charlie Becker on the sideline.

Indiana dramatically ended a 13-game losing streak at Beaver Stadium, winning there for the first time in Big Ten play, and sent Penn State to its sixth consecutive loss. Penn State had a fourth-quarter in three of those games.

Here's what else we learned from the Penn State-Indiana game.

Penn State's losing streak nearing history

The Nittany Lions' six-game losing streak ranks among the longest in the program's 136-year history. Penn State lost six straight games for the first time since 2004, which is the program's last losing season (discounting the shortened 2020 COVID year).

Penn State also lost six straight games in 2003, when it went 3-9, the worst season of Joe Paterno's career. Prior to that, Penn State had not lost six straight games since 1931, when the Nittany Lons went 2-8.

Penn State (3-6) has not beaten a Power 4 opponent this season. The Nittany Lions seek to avoid their longest Big Ten losing streak since joining the conference next week at Michigan State.

Welcome back, Nicholas Singleton

The Penn State running back has had a wayward season, averaging just 36.5 yards rushing per game and losing the primary backfield job to Kaytron Allen. But he still had the spark inside him and cut it loose Saturday.

Singleton scored three touchdowns, including two in Penn State's explosive fourth quarter, and delivered his longest run of the season. Singleton broke a 59-yard gain to set up his second touchdown, demonstrating the burst and speed that Penn State has longed to see this season.

Singleton simply couldn't find his gear this season. His longest run was 16 yards, and he had been averaging 3.6 yards per carry. But Singleton's second half was undeniably his best football of the season.

Ethan Grunkemeyer has some moxie

Penn State Nittany Lions Ethan Grunkemeyer throws a pass during a warmup prior to the game against the Indiana Hoosiers.
Penn State Nittany Lions Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) throws a pass during a warmup prior to the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Indiana should have taken the game in hand with a third-quarter interception of a poorly thrown ball by quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer in his third career start. But the defense held the Hoosiers to a field goal, and Grunkemeyer shook off the play.

Penn State's quarterback responded by completing 11 of his final 13 passes, including a touchdown to Singleton and three passes of 20+ yards. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki loosened the reins on Grunkemeyer, giving him more opportuinties downfield.

Grunkemeyer got freshman Koby Howard involved twice, found Trebor Pena for 20 yards and softly threaded a ball to Singleton for the go-ahead touchdown. He went 13-for-20 for 129 yards in the second half.

Penn State's defense showed up, then faltered

After a struggle session at Ohio State last week, Penn State's defense played one of its better games this season, until the final drive. There were untimely breakdowns, notably on third downs, and the Nittany Lions generated more backfield pressure than it had in recent games.

But Mendoza looked exceptional on the Hoosiers' final scoring drive. He completed passes of 22, 12, 29 and 7 yards on the last series before hitting Cooper for the touchdown.

The Nittany Lions recorded eight tackles for loss (six in the first half), a surprising number against Indiana, which was allowing 3.2 per game. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles released the pass rush, which affected the Hoosiers all afternoon. Defensive tackle Zane Durant moved Mendoza out of the pocket multiple times, linebacker Amare Cambell got into the backfield on run plays and linebacker Dom DeLuca made a pair of TFLs.

Even end Dani Dennis-Sutton looked active, getting his first sack since Week 2 vs. FIU. However, Penn State was called for holding in the defensive backfield, squelching the critical play. The Nittany Lions' defense held on through 8:38, limiting Indiana to a field goal, but that penalty proved critical to the game flow.

The defense also prevented Indiana from turning a third-quarter interception into a touchdown. Zion Tracy made a third-down stop, forcing a field goal and keeping Penn State in the game at the time. And King Mack's fourth-quarter interception led to the go-ahead touchdown.

A rare fumble leads to a key Indiana touchdown

Penn State lost its footing in the game with 1:09 left in the first half. On 3rd-and-8, Grunkemeyer couldn't find a receiver downfield and checked a throw to Allen in the left flat. Allen juggled the pass and tried to get a few yards but, in the process, fumbled for the first time this season. Indiana took over at the Nittany Lions' 22-yard line.

That was a harrowing spot for a Penn State defense, which had played fairly well to that point, particularly in generating pressure. But Indiana makes teams pay for turnovers. The Hoosiers had scored 72 points off turnovers this season, 42 in their last two games.

They made Penn State pay as well, with Kaelon Black scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run to take a 17-7 lead. Indiana entered the game 15-0 under Cignetti when winning the turnover battle.

Up next

The Nittany Lions visit Michigan State on Nov. 15 for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on CBS or Big Ten Network.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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