Penn State (3-6, 0-6) took a late lead but couldn’t finish the job against No. 2 Indiana (10-0, 7-0), dropping a 27-24 heartbreaker on Saturday for the Nittany Lions’ sixth consecutive loss.
Hoosier quarterback Fernando Mendoza led an 80-yard drive with under two minutes remaining and no timeouts — capped by Omar Cooper’s toe-tapping reception in the back of the end zone — to pull out Indiana’s first-ever victory in Beaver Stadium.
The Nittany Lions had come back from a 17-7 halftime deficit to take a 24-20 lead in the fourth. A 59-yard Nick Singleton run set up his own 1-yard score and a King Mack interception led to Singleton’s 19-yard catch and run that gave Penn State a fleeting lead with six minutes left in the game.
But it wasn’t to be, as the Nittany Lions remained winless in conference play and on the verge of being eliminated from contention for even a minor bowl game in a season that started with national title hopes.
Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer continued to show improvement in his third game since replacing the injured Drew Allar. The redshirt freshman was 22-31 for 219 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Singleton, meanwhile, had one of his best games of the season, running 10 times for 71 yards and catching three passes for 22 yards. Trebor Peña had six catches for 99 yards.
For Indiana, Mendoza was 19-30 for 218 yards with a touchdown and an interception and ran for 20 yards and a score.
The Nittany Lions outgained the Hoosiers 336 to 326.
Penn State, which has lost six straight for the first time since 2004, returns to action next weekend with a 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Michigan State
HOW IT HAPPENED
1st Quarter
Each team’s first two possessions ended in punts before Indiana broke through. Hoosier quarterback Fernando Mendoza hit Charlie Becker deep on a post pattern for a 53-yard gain into the red zone. Two plays later, Mendoza scrambled 18 yards for the score and Indiana had a 7-0 lead with 1:36 remaining in the first quarter after a three-play, 68-yard drive that took just 80 seconds.
End 1Q: Indiana 7, Penn State 0
2nd Quarter
Penn State opened the second by converting a fourth-and-1 from its own 42 on a 2-yard Ethan Grunkemeyer pass to tight end Andrew Rappleyea. Then facing third and 10, Grunkemeyer connected with Trebor Peña across the middle for a 43-yard gain to the Indiana 13. Running back Nick Singleton took it from there, running for gains of 8, 3 and finally 2 for the touchdown as Penn State tied the game at 7-7 with 11:08 left in the half after a 10-play, 67-yard drive.
Indiana, though, would keep possession for nine of the final 11 minutes of the half and outscore the Nittany Lions 10-0 during that time.
Penn State’s defense looked to have Indiana stopped on its next possession with a third-down sack near midfield by Dani Dennis-Sutton, but a defensive holding penalty gave the Hoosiers new life. Indiana converted two more third-and-longs en route to the Penn State 5 before they started moving backwards. Cornerback Daryus Dixson stopped running back Roman Hemby for no gain then sacked Mendoza for a 7-yard loss.
After a false start and a 7-yard completion, Indiana had to settle for a 28-yard Nicolas Radicic field goal and a 10-7 lead with 2:30 remaining in the second.
Facing third and 8 from his own 24 with just over a minute remaining, Grunkemeyer dumped off to Kaytron Allen, who fumbled as he was taken down. Indiana recovered and was back in business at the Nittany Lion 22.
A pass interference penalty put the Hoosiers at the 10, Mendoza hit Becker at the 1 and Kaelon Black punched it in for a touchdown. Indiana extended its lead to 17-7 as the first half wound down.
End 2Q: Indiana 17, Penn State 7
3rd Quarter
Indiana corner Jamari Sharpe picked off an Ethan Grunkemeyer pass at midfield on the second play of the second half to quickly snuff out the Nittany Lions’ first drive.
The Hoosier offense drove to the Penn State 13, mostly on the strength of 27 Hemby rushing yards, but the Nittany Lion defense came up with a stop there. Radicic came on to make a 31-yard field goal, and Indiana had 20-7 lead at the 8:41 mark of the third.
Grunkemeyer led Penn State to the red zone on the Nittany Lions’ next possession, keyed by completions of 21 to Peña and 22 to freshman Koby Howard. But a false start got the Nittany Lions off schedule, and a Grunkemeyer throwaway and a Devonte Ross drop stalled the drive. Ryan Barker connected on a 36-yard field goal to narrow Indiana’s lead to 20-10 with 3:36 left in the quarter.
After a fantastic leaping catch by Becker on a throw under pressure by Mendoza and a couple of runs got the Hoosiers to midfield, Indiana faced a third-and-9 as third quarter came to an end.
Charlie Becker had Gus Johnson losing his mind on this catch 😱🔥@IndianaFootball pic.twitter.com/58t6BueTJy
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 8, 2025
End 3Q: Indiana 20, Penn State 10
4th Quarter
A Mendoza incompletion on third down forced a punt, and the Nittany Lions took over on their own 15.
After Grunkemeyer hooked up with Peña for a 20-yard gain, Singleton found a hole for his biggest run of the season, racing 59 yards to the Indiana 2. Two players later, Singleton took it in for his 50th career touchdown as Penn State trimmed the Hoosier lead to 20-17 with 11:36 to play.
The momentum carried over to the Penn State defense. On the second play of Indiana’s next possession, safety King Mack picked off a Mendoza pass at the Hoosier 42 for his first career interception.
A mix of Allen runs and short Grunkemeyer completions pushed the Nittany Lions into the red zone, where Singleton came up big again. The senior back took a pass in the flat and juked Indiana defenders to go 19 yards for the touchdown. Penn State had a 24-20 lead with 6:27 remaining.
A Dennis-Sutton sack and a delay of game penalty got Indiana’s offense off track and the Hoosiers were forced to punt with under four minutes left.
Penn State picked up a first down but no more and after the two-minute timeout punted it back to the Hoosiers, who set up at their own 20 with 1:51 remaining and no timeouts.
After a sack to start the drive, Mendoza showed why he’s one of the nation’s best quarterbacks, completing four passes for 80 yards to get the Hoosiers to the Nittany Lion 7. On third and goal with 36 seconds remaining, Mendoza threw to the back of the end zone, where Omar Cooper hauled it in with a foot in bounds for the go-ahead score.
Penn State got one more chance and drove to the Indiana 48, but a desperation heave on the game’s final play fell short, along with the Nittany Lions’ hopes for an upset.
Final: Indiana 27, Penn State 24
