STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Fernando Mendoza shook his head and exhaled on the sideline. The Indiana quarterback’s dazzling game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. with 36 seconds left had just been upheld, and the Hoosiers escaped a trap game at Penn State with a narrow 27-24 comeback win.

Penn State entered this matchup on a five-game losing streak with a fired coach and a season down in the dumps. But the Nittany Lions showed energy and flair – the defense regularly got pressure on Mendoza and Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer showed improvement since he took over for an injured Drew Allar . They rallied from a 20-7 deficit and nearly knocked off the No. 2 team in the country.

But in the end, Indiana overcame its first taste of adversity and remains un

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