STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Omar Cooper Jr. believed. Fernando Mendoza believed. Charlie Becker believed. All the Indiana Hoosiers did, that they could win where they’d never won before.
And then, against fierce Penn State, delivered adversity Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium, one of the nation’s most intimidating facilities, when it mattered most, second-ranked IU did what head coach Curt Cignetti teams always do.
They made the plays they had to make and won, 27-24. It boosted their record to 10-0 overall, tying the program mark for best-ever start to a season, and 7-0 in the Big Ten to stay half a game ahead of Ohio State in the conference standings.
“Words can’t describe it,” Cignetti told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during the post-game radio interview. “It’s a great win.”
Where were you when the drive of the season, of the decade, heck, perhaps of all time, delivered a one-for-the-ages thriller?
Where were you when Cooper Jr. had the game-winning touchdown catch that will be remembered as long as the Hoosiers have a football program?
Backed up to their own 13-yard line after a sack, with 1:51 left, no timeouts and Penn State (3-6, 0-6 Big Ten) attacking with ferocity it hadn’t shown all season, the Hoosiers refused to lose.
Mendoza connected on a 22-yard pass to Cooper Jr, then 12 yards to receiver E.J. Williams Jr., then 29 yards to tight end Riley Nowakowski, then 17 yards to receiver Charlie Becker before the 7-yard game winner to Cooper Jr. with 39 seconds left.
“To be down like we were and getting nothing done and then go (80) yards without any timeouts,” Cignetti told Fischer. “Some of the plays that were made …
“That drive will go down in the annals of Indiana history as one of the most special moments that ever took place.”
Cooper Jr.’s right-left toe tap at the back of the end zone catch, with an inch to spare, became an instant classic. It came after Mendoza got off the throw despite punishing Penn State pressure.
“Penn State was bringing everybody,” Cignetti told Fischer, “and we went into max protection. Cooper made an unbelievable catch. It’s a game of inches.”
Throughout the game, Mendoza was hit and hit and hit again, and never wavered, even after throwing an interception that led to Penn State’s go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter. He finished 19-for-30 for 218 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also ran for 20 yards, including an 18-yard TD.
“Mendoza refused to lose,” Cignetti told Fischer. “I can’t say enough about him.”
Penn State pressured and harassed IU into second-half inefficiency. Four-straight Hoosier drives produced just 66 yards, three punts, and an interception.
Indiana seemed finished.
It was not. Becker told Fischer that’s a credit to Cignetti’s never-get-too-high-or-too-low coaching.
“That’s always what Coach Cig preaches to us. We always have to know our assignments and keep applying pressure. It works in these close games. We keep playing our game.”
Becker certainly did. Replacing injured standout Elijah Sarratt, Becker caught a career-high seven passes for a career-high 118 yards. Cooper Jr. had six catches for 32 yards and the game-winning touchdown.
How big a difference does linebacker Aiden Fisher make?
Against Penn State, it was a fumble recovery that led to a touchdown, and then an interception that led to a field goal, helping the Hoosiers take a 13-point second-half lead.
Fisher, who finished with nine tackles, had missed the previous week’s Maryland victory with a knee injury.
For the first time all season, IU was outgained. Penn State had 336 total yards to the Hoosiers’ 326. Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer was the big reason, going 22-for-31 for 219 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Still, the defense made a crucial late-game stop to give the offense a chance to win it.
“They put us in great position,” Becker told Fischer.
After opening with a pair of punts, IU needed just 80 seconds to drive for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Mendoza capped it with an 18-yard touchdown that was set up by a 53-yard pass to Becker.
After a Penn State touchdown, the Hoosiers used up more than eight minutes on a 15-play drive that ended with Nico Radicic‘s 28-yard field goal and a 10-7 lead.
Fisher recovered a Nittany Lions fumble with 1:09 left in the half. IU capitalized with Kaelon Black‘s 1-yard touchdown run for a 17-7 halftime lead. Mendoza was 10-for-12 for 102 yards.
Fisher’s interception after Jamari Sharpe tipped a pass on the second play of the third quarter set up Radicic’s 31-yard field goal for a 20-7 lead.
Penn State countered with 17-straight points for a 24-20 lead with 6:27 left. An IU drive ended in another punt, but the defense forced a Nittany Lion punt. The Hoosiers had 1:51 left to go 80 yards.
Mission accomplished.
A sack put the Hoosiers at the 13-yard line. Then came Mendoza passes to Cooper Jr., Williams, Nowakoski and Becker, and then Cooper Jr. again for the victory.
“I don’t know if we ever had the game in hand,” Cignetti told Fischer. “We had a chance to distance ourselves after the (Fisher) interception but couldn’t get the ball in the end zone. Then they were in striking distances.
“(Offensively), they started to go with play-action passes and completing it deep over the middle. You make an adjustment to cover those and give up some runs. All of a sudden, you have what you have, and we weren’t blocking them very well.
“That’s a (darn) good team. Maybe they found their quarterback.”
After a raucous locker room celebration, Cignetti posed for selfies with IU fans who made the long trip.
Next up is next Saturday’s final home game against Wisconsin.
“The tape won’t look great tomorrow,” Cignetti told Fischer. “We won’t be happy about a lot of it. You can’t use injuries as an excuse. Everybody has to deal with those.”
Courtesy of IUHoosiers.com used with permission
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