Penn State began its 2020 season with a difficult loss Saturday, as the Nittany Lions fell short to Indiana in overtime, 36-35. The game came down to a controversial decision, as Hoosiers quarterback Michael Penix dove for a two-point conversion that appeared to hit the sideline before touching the pylon. It was very close, and in the end, the referees, who called it a touchdown on the field, let the play stand.
BWI's Nate Bauer recaps one of the craziest games of the past decade.
PLAYER OF THE GAME - Penix wasn’t brilliant by any means, his stat line finishing with 19 completions on 36 attempts for 170 yards with a touchdown and an interception. But no one will remember that from Indiana’s first win against a top ten team before remembering the gritty plays Penix made to secure the win. Not least of all, of course, the defining play of the game in overtime.
PLAY OF THE GAME - Invigorated by an improbable two-minute drill drive to end the game to turn a 28-20 deficit into an overtime opportunity, then nearly botching it with a kickoff miscue, Indiana head coach Tom Allen wasn’t taking any more chances. Equalling Penn State in the end zone with a brilliant Penix to Whop Philyor pass, Allen decided he could live with the results of a single overtime period, no matter the outcome. The resulting two-point conversion was a Penix rollout to the left pylon, just barely beating safety Jaquan Brisker to the sideline before extending the ball to the corner. Challenging to decipher on ultra-slow mo video, the play was ruled good and, after a lengthy review, was deemed the correct call on the field.
BEST PASS - In a game that failed to captivate for its first three quarters, many could be considered from the fourth quarter and overtime. The Penix to Philyor connection in overtime gets the nod here, both for its precision as well as its huge impact on the game’s outcome.
WORST PASS - Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford had a few of them Saturday afternoon, none worse than the one that got away late in the first quarter. To that point, completing 7 of 8 for 60 yards and a touchdown, the quarterback’s dump-off pass on first down simply floated away from him, landing in the hands of Indiana defender Jaylin Williams.
BEST RUN The author of a gritty performance of his own, Clifford’s second-and-16 carry through the heart of Indiana’s defense and into the end zone was as good as any on Saturday, and at a critical moment. Closing out the third quarter with the run, Clifford’s touchdown improved Penn State to a 17-14 deficit going into the final frame.
BEST CATCH Indiana’s Jacolby Hewitt made an incredible snag over the middle to set up Indiana’s last-minute scoring drive with an opportunity inside the 10-yard line. The Hoosiers would cash in shortly thereafter.
WORST DROP Indiana tight end Peyton Hendershot might have been able to ice it before the drama down the stretch unfolded. The target of a third-and-short pass late in the game, directly over the head of the umpire, Hendershot couldn’t reel it in.
BEST SACK Stifled all afternoon, Penn State defensive end Shaka Toney found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow twice, and almost a third time, setting up the Nittany Lions’ ill-fated touchdown to go-ahead 28-20.
BEST HIT Indiana running back Stevie Scott trucked Ji’Ayir Brown on his 14-yard touchdown carry in the second quarter. Untouched into the third level, Scott used his momentum to bowl over Brown on his way into the end zone.
BEST EFFORT Indiana’s Jamar Johnson straight-up snatched the ball away from Penn State quarterback Will Levis with the Nittany Lions on the doorstep of the end zone late in the first half. The play killed Penn State’s positive momentum, made worse when a Jake Pinegar chippie doinked off the upright.
BEST KICK Indiana’s Charles Campbell sent home a 48-yard field goal attempt early in the fourth quarter to give the Hoosiers a 20-14 lead with 13:18 left to play. There was plenty of leg on it, too, clearing the crossbar easily.
BEST RETURN Devyn Ford didn’t waste any time announcing his presence as a solid kick returner ahead of the Nittany Lions’ 2020 season. Taking a short opening kickoff at the 10-yard line, Ford burst forward and nearly hit a hole with little inhibiting his progress until getting tripped up at the 36.
BEST DECISION Going for fourth down on the first possession of the afternoon proved to be a prudent choice for the Nittany Lions Saturday. Stuffed three times on runs up the middle, Kirk Ciarrocca got the go-ahead for a fourth-down try and made the most of it. Slipping tight end Pat Freiermuth through the line, the All-American candidate found himself all alone in the end zone for an easy pitch and catch from Sean Clifford to give Penn State a 7-0 advantage.
WORST DECISION There were many to choose from Saturday afternoon from Penn State’s perspective. Whether it was penalties, including Jesse Luketa’s targeting or the 15-yard facemask against Adisa Isaac while the Hoosiers gasped for any hope late in regulation, Penn State made mistake after mistake after mistake. In all, the Nittany Lions were charged with 10 penalties for 100 yards. But, of course, none were more costly than Ford’s failure to stop short of the end zone when the Hoosiers willingly offered unfettered entrance late in the game. The touchdown returned possession to the hosts, who took the ball the length of the field, forced overtime with a 2-point conversion, then won it.
MOST TELLING MOMENT For as bizarre as a major college football game can be when played in a virtually vacant stadium, the reality Saturday afternoon was that Penn State and Indiana produced something akin to a street fight. The quality wasn’t always there, but the memorable fourth quarter and overtime were made that way by a fisticuffs energy that permeated the entire affair.
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