UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. —Penn State Football (3-6, 0-6 Big Ten) came up short against No. 2 Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten), 27-24, at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Senior Nicholas Singleton, finished with 143 all-purpose yards. He toted the ball 10 times for 71 yards, highlighted by a 59-yard dash in the fourth quarter, and two touchdowns. He caught a 19-yard touchdown to give the Nittany Lions the lead in the fourth quarter. Singleton’s 41 career rushing touchdowns are two away from tying Saquon Barkley’s program best. He boasts 51 total touchdowns for his career, two behind Barkley’s all-time record.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer completed 22-of-31 passes for 219 yards and one score. Redshirt senior wide receiver Trebor Peña was his top target, hauling in six balls for 99 yards, including a 43-yard completion in the second quarter to set up Singleton’s first score. The pass served as Grunkemeyer's longest career completion. Redshirt senior tight end Khalil Dinkins caught four passes for 40 yards.
On the defensive side, the Nittany Lions totaled eight tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries and three sacks in addition to a fourth quarter interception from junior safety King Mack. Freshman cornerback Daryus Dixson recorded his second career forced fumble on his first career sack in the second quarter. Senior defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and senior defensive tackle Zane Durant both tallied sacks late in the fourth quarter.
Junior linebacker Amare Campbell tied junior cornerback A.J. Harris for the team lead in tackles with eight while recording 1.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry. Redshirt senior linebacker Dominic DeLuca set a new career-high with two stops in the backfield while redshirt senior defensive end Zuriah Fisher also set a career-best 1.5 tackles for loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hoosiers began the game on offense after the Nittany Lions won the toss and deferred their decision to the second half. A big effort from the defense, highlighted by a tackle for loss by DeLuca, allowed the PSU offense to make their first appearance. Despite a pair of first downs, Penn State was forced to punt on its first offensive drive. Both team’s punting units were put to work on each of the next two possessions.
Indiana broke the dry spell with its first set of points of the day following a three-play drive highlighted by a 53-yard reception to put the Hoosiers in the redzone. The possession was capped off by an 18-yard rushing touchdown for the opposition.
The Nittany Lions offense tallied their first touchdown of the afternoon following a 43-yard reception for Peña on third down. The 10-play, 67-yard scoring drive was finished off with a two-yard rushing touchdown for Singleton to level the score at 7-7 at the 11:08 mark in the second frame.
An extended drive for the Hoosier resulted in just three points, following a 28-yard field goal. A combination of a sack for a loss of seven yards by Dixson with Indiana at the PSU 5-yard line and a five-yard false start penalty, allowed the Penn State defense to get a stop on third and 17 and force the visitor’s field goal unit to the field. The ensuing Nittany Lions offensive attempt would result in a fumble at their own 24-yard line, allowing the Hoosiers to tack on seven more points before the halftime break to extend their lead to 17-7.
Following the break in action, Grunkemeyer threw an interception on the second play of the drive, allowing Indiana to take over at the 50-yard line. The Hoosiers only managed to convert three points due to a Nittany Lions defensive stop on third down at the 13-yard line, resulting in a 31-yard field goal for Indiana.
Penn State responded with a field goal of its own to cap off a 10-play, 56-yard drive. Barker sent a 36-yard kick through the uprights to narrow the margin to 20-10 with 3:36 remaining in the third stanza.
As the clock turned into the fourth quarter, the Nittany Lions haulted the Hoosiers’ offensive efforts on third down, forcing their third punt of the contest. Penn State made use of the stop by adding seven points to the board to inch within three points of the Hoosiers. A 59-yard rush for Singleton placed the ball at the one-yard line, where he would convert a one-yard rushing touchdown.
Beaver Stadium erupted on the first play of Indiana’s ensuing offensive drive when Mack picked the throw from the air at the IU 44-yard line. The Nittany Lions turned defense into offense, completing the drive with a 19-yard reception to Singleton, marking his third score of the day and the first PSU lead at 24-20.
The Penn State defense would again come up with a stop, forcing the Hoosiers’ punt squad to make another appearance. Despite the advantage, the Nittany Lions offense could not gain traction and Gabe Nwosu was called to the field.
With just under two minutes remaining in the game, Indiana’s offense returned for another possession. Several strong defensive plays were not enough to fend of the Hoosiers as they completed a seven-yard reception in the endzone to pull ahead by three points with :36 seconds on the clock.
Penn State had one more chance to convert but were unable to sustain any momentum as time ran out in the contest with a 27-24 final score in favor of Indiana.For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and ticket information for the 2025 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU, as well as club seating in West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.GoPSUsports.com, or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.