It wasn’t enough on Saturday afternoon, but it offered hope.
Relentless Hoosier defensive pressure produced three sacks and Penn State quarterback Drew Allar’s first career interception in 301 pass attempts courtesy of safety Josh Sanguinetti.
It wasn’t enough, but it offered hope.
IU pushed No. 10 Penn State (7-1) to the brink of its first road upset of a ranked team since 1987. It was tied at 24-24 with three minutes left.
It wasn’t enough in the 33-24 defeat, but it offered hope.
“I hurt for them,” head coach Tom Allen said during the post-game radio show. “A lot of effort was given. I’m so proud of them and the way they prepared, the way they responded.”
IU fell to 2-6 overall. It has to win its last four games to become bowl eligible.
“We’re in playoff mode,” Allen said. “We know what we have to do. We have to keep battling.
“I believe in this team. I know we’ve had some short-comings, but we’re getting better. Our offense is getting better. Our defense did some great things.
“On the road against a team like this, you’ve got to find a way to make some special plays. We just needed one more.”
Allen had talked earlier in the week about the Hoosiers need to generate big plays.
Talk became reality.
The third-longest play in IU history, and its longest pass play since 1993 (Sorsby to DeQuece Carter for 90 yards and a touchdown) produced a 7-0 first-quarter lead. Sorsby’s 69-yard TD pass to Donaven McCulley gave the Hoosiers a 14-7 second quarter lead.
“We felt we had a chance to make some big plays with our receivers on their corners,” Allen said. “We worked on that all week. We’re growing up on offense. It takes some pressure off if we can get some chunk plays.”
Under new offensive coordinator Rod Carey, the offense is starting to find the consistency it lacked earlier.
By halftime, IU had 220 yards against the nation’s best defense in total yards allowed (218). It finished with 349.
“It was an awesome job by the offense,” Allen said. “I’m so proud of Coach Carey and what’s he’s doing with those guys. The way they’re coming together. We have to keep building off of that.”
Sorsby hurt his shoulder during a physical fourth-quarter run, but still threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. to get the Hoosiers within three points at 24-21, and then a 24-24 tie.
In his third career start, Sorsby finished 13-for-19 for 269 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception.
“He has a lot of toughness to him,” Allen said. “When we recruited him, he was more of a runner. He hadn’t played a lot of quarterback. We saw the arm talent and the way he competed.
“He has the ability to make those tough runs and throw, as well. He’s young, but getting better each week.”
Added Carter: “I trust him. We have his back. We stayed out there in the summer and got a lot of work in. I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Carter, a transfer from Fordham, caught three passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. McCulley caught four passes for 96 yards and a TD.
Running back Josh Henderson came back from injury to rush for 57 yards.
James Evans punted four times for a 57.5-yard average.
Linebacker Aaron Casey and safety Louis Moore had 10 tackles each on a defense that faced 74 plays and 35 Penn State offensive minutes.
“They battled and battled,” Allen said. “They played so hard and tough.”
IU defended so well early, the 100,000-plus Beaver Stadium crowd booed the Penn State offense.
Hoosier mistakes hurt. A fumbled punt return and an interception led to 10 Nittany Lion points and a 17-14 halftime Penn State lead. A fourth-quarter Sorsby fumble while being sacked resulted in a safety.
“We can’t make a couple of mistakes that cost us,” Allen said. “We got to the last three minutes and didn’t finish. I hate that.”
Both teams punted on their first two possessions.
Then came the Sorsby-to-Carter stunner and a 7-0 Hoosier lead midway through the first quarter.
IU forced a third-straight Penn State punt, but Camden Jordan fumbled the return, and the Nittany Lions recovered and scored the tying touchdown.
The Hoosiers came back with Sorsby’s touchdown pass to McCulley for that 14-7 lead. Penn State tied it on a TD run with 2:09 left in the first half, then capitalized on a Sorsby interception with a 50-yard field goal for a 17-14 halftime lead.
The Nittany Lions got a third-quarter touchdown pass for a 24-14 lead. Chris Freeman missed a 37-yard field goal to end a 14-play, 56-yard drive.
The Hoosiers came back with Sorsby’s touchdown pass to Cooper Jr. for a 24-21 score.
Sanguinetti’s interception set up Freeman’s 35-yard field goal for a 24-24 tie with three minutes left.
The Nittany Lions responded with a 57-yard touchdown pass for a 31-24 lead with less than two minutes left.
Penn State sacked Sorsby, forced a fumble and got a safety to clinch the victory.
“We were so close,” Allen told Fischer and Lewis. “This hurts.
“No question it’s hard to mentally keep going when you’re not getting what you want, but I felt good about how they responded. They stayed together. They kept believing. They keep working hard.”
IU hosts Wisconsin next Saturday and Michigan State on Nov. 18. It plays at Illinois on Nov. 11 and Purdue on Nov. 25.
“We think of it as the playoffs,” Carter told Fischer and Lewis. “We have to get all four.
“There’s a lot of belief on this team. We play a hard schedule. We’re not backing down from anybody. We have a lot of positivity going forward.”
Recent Comments