No 2 Indiana caps off comeback win over Penn State with sensational touchdown, keeps undefeated season alive

Penn State was connected the verge of a monolithic upset of No. 2 Indiana, but Hoosiers backmost Fernando Mendoza and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. had different ideas. 

Indiana survived Penn State, winning 27-24 connected Saturday day astatine Beaver Stadium acknowledgment to an unthinkable 10-play, 73-yard thrust that Mendoza authored.

The Nittany Lions were up 24-20 with 1:51 near successful the 4th quarter, and Indiana had nary timeouts. On the archetypal play of the drive, Mendoza was sacked by defender Zane Durant for a nonaccomplishment of 7 yards. 

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Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. catches a touchdown walk implicit Penn State information Zakee Wheatley during the 4th quarter, Saturday, successful State College, Pa. (Barry Reeger/AP Photo)

The Indiana backmost rallied his squad backmost to the enactment of scrimmage and completed a 22-yard walk to Cooper to negate the sack and get a archetypal down. Mendoza spiked the shot to halt the clock. 

On the ensuing play aft the spike, Mendoza connected with E.J. Williams Jr. for 12 yards and different archetypal down. Two plays later, Mendoza deed Riley Nowakowski for a 29-yard summation to determination into Penn State territory. 

Mendoza past connected with Charlie Becker for different 17 yards to determination to the Penn State 7-yard line. With 45 seconds left, Indiana gave themselves a accidental to triumph the game. 

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Indiana backmost Fernando Mendoza looks to walk against Penn State, Saturday, successful State College, Pa. (Barry Reeger/AP Photo)

It looked similar Mendoza completed the comeback connected 2nd down. The Hoosiers backmost connected with Becker connected a slant successful the extremity portion for a touchdown, but the referees blew the play dormant due to the fact that Penn State got a timeout astatine the past second. The Nittany Lions forced an incomplete walk connected 2nd down to unit 3rd down aft the timeout. 

On 3rd and goal, with the Hoosiers’ undefeated grounds connected the line, Mendoza and Cooper saved the day. 

Mendoza, who was astir to beryllium clobbered by oncoming rushers, stepped into a propulsion and delivered a precocious walk to Cooper. The wide receiver skied for the drawback and, successful acrobatic fashion, conscionable got his toed down successful the extremity portion to implicit not lone an unthinkable touchdown, but the comeback arsenic well. 

Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., center, celebrates his touchdown drawback with teammates, Saturday, successful State College, Pa. (Barry Reeger/AP Photo)

Penn State got the shot backmost with 35 seconds and 1 timeout, down 27-24, but couldn't get into tract extremity range, and their Hail Mary effort fell short. 

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Mendoza threw for 218 yards and had 1 touchdown with 1 interception successful the win. Cooper had six catches for 32 yards and a touchdown. 

Indiana improved to 10-0 with the triumph and volition look to support it rolling against Wisconsin (2-6) adjacent week. Penn State dropped to 3-6 with the nonaccomplishment and volition look to rally against Michigan State (3-6) adjacent week.

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