Will Indiana and Oregon win Big Ten games?
Joel Klatt previews the Indiana Hoosiers and Penn State Nittany Lions. He explained how the Hoosiers are struggling with injuries to WR Elijah Surrat and LB Aiden Fisher and wondered if that would affect their chances of a playoff run. Joel is broken..
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Penn State was on the verge of a major upset with No. 2 Indiana State, but Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. had other ideas.
Indiana survived Penn State, winning 27-24 Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium thanks to a stunning 10-play, 73-yard scoring drive by Mendoza.
The Nittany Lions led 24-20 with 1:51 remaining in the fourth quarter, and Indiana had no timeouts. On the first play of the drive, Mendoza sacked defender Zane Durant for a loss of seven yards.
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Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. catches a touchdown pass over Penn State safety Zackie Whitley during the fourth quarter, Saturday, in State College, Pennsylvania. (Barry Reger/AP Photo)
The Indiana quarterback moved his team back to the line of scrimmage and completed a 22-yard pass to Cooper to negate the sack and get a first down. Mendoza shot the ball to stop the clock.
On the ensuing play after the spike, Mendoza connected with EJ Williams Jr. for 12 yards and another first down. Two plays later, Mendoza hit Riley Nowakowski for a 29-yard gain to move into Penn State territory.
Mendoza then connected with Charlie Baker for another 17-yard touchdown to move to the Penn State 7-yard line. With 45 seconds left, Indiana gave themselves a chance to win the game.
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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza looks to pass against Penn State, Saturday, in State College, Pennsylvania. (Barry Reger/AP Photo)
Mendoza appeared to complete the comeback in second place. The Hoosiers’ quarterback connected with Becker on a slant in the end zone for a touchdown, but the officials botched the play because Penn State was given a last-second timeout. The Nittany Lions forced an incomplete pass on second down to force a third down after a timeout.
On third-and-goal, with the Hoosiers’ unbeaten record on the line, Mendoza and Cooper saved the day.
Mendoza, about to be hit by oncoming rushers, stepped up on a throw and sent a high pass to Cooper. The wide receiver skated for the catch and, acrobatically, stuck his toe into the end zone to complete not only the incredible touchdown, but the comeback.
Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. celebrates his catch with teammates, Saturday, in State College, Pennsylvania. (Barry Reger/AP Photo)
Penn State got the ball back 35 seconds and one timeout later, down 27-24, but couldn’t get into field goal range, and their Hail Mary attempt fell short.
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Mendoza threw for 218 yards and one touchdown with one interception in the win. Cooper had six catches for 32 yards and a touchdown.
Indiana State improved to 10-0 with the win and will look to continue it against Wisconsin (2-6) next week. Penn State fell to 3-6 with the loss and will look to rally against Michigan State (3-6) next week.
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