No. 10 Penn State holds off upset-minded Indiana
Drew Allar connected with KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a go-ahead, 57-yard touchdown with 1:46 remaining to lift No. 10 Penn State to a 33-24 victory over Indiana on Saturday afternoon in State College, Pa.
The Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) saw a 10-point lead evaporate in the fourth quarter when the Hoosiers’ Brendan Sorsby threw a 26-yard scoring strike to Omar Cooper Jr. and Chris Freeman made a 35-yard field goal to tie the game 24-24 with 2:58 remaining.
But Allar saved the day, and Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton then strip-sacked Sorsby at his own 25 and watched as the ball bounce all the way out of the back of the end zone for a safety that sealed the victory.
Allar completed 20 of 31 passes for 210 yards, three TDs and his first collegiate interception for the Nittany Lions, who avoided losing back-to-back regular-season games for the first time since Oct. 23, 2021.
Lambert-Smith finished with six catches for 96 yards and the decisive score, while Kaytron Allen led the rushing attack with 81 yards on 18 carries.
Sorsby threw for 269 yards, three touchdowns and a pick on 13-for-19 passing for Indiana (2-6, 0-5), which lost its fourth straight game.
DeQuece Carter had three receptions for 104 yards and a TD for the Hoosiers.
Momentum shifted in the Nittany Lions’ favor late in the second half when Nicholas Singleton ran to the end zone from 2 yards out to tie the score 14-14 with 2:15 remaining until halftime.
Jaylen Reed then picked off Sorsby and, seven plays later, Alex Felkins drilled a 50-yard field goal to allow Penn State to take a 17-14 edge into the break.
The Nittany Lions opened a 10-point lead at 24-14 thanks to Allar’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Theo Johnson with 8:39 left in the third quarter.
After the first four drives of the game ended with punts, Sorsby opened the scoring emphatically, connecting with Carter for a 90-yard touchdown.
Penn State went three-and-out on its ensuing drive but recovered a muffed punt, turning that takeaway into Allar’s 9-yard scoring strike to Khalil Dinkins that knotted things at 7-7.
But the Nittany Lions’ secondary broke down again shortly after, as Sorsby found Donaven McCulley for a 69-yard TD with 13:26 left in the second quarter to reestablish a seven-point edge.
–Field Level Media
