Watch Penn State head coach James Franklin's postgame press conference following 33-24 win over Indiana
It was the prettiest of wins for Penn State, but head coach James Franklin and his team improved to 7-1 Saturday, taking down Indiana 33-24. Just like the past two weeks against Michigan and Rutgers, the Hoosiers struck first Saturday, scoring on a 90-yard touchdown pass when quarterback Brendan Sorsby found Dequece Carter to quiet a Beaver Stadium crowd that was already lacking energy.
The Hoosiers scored again on a 69-yard pass to open the second quarter, but as has been a theme for Indiana this season, they couldn’t hold onto the lead, allowing Penn State to score 17 unanswered points in the second and third quarters.
But unlike in many games this season when Penn State’s defense put teams away in the second half, Manny Diaz’s squad allowed a 12-play, 80-yard drive early in the fourth quarter to bring the game within three, 24-21. Both teams traded punts on the following two drives before quarterback Drew Allar made the first major mistake of his career, throwing an interception deep in Penn State territory. However, despite starting at the Penn State 24-yard line, the Hoosiers seemed to settle for a field goal, running the ball three straight times to Josh Henderson before converting a 35-yard field goal to tie the game.
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With just 2:56 left in the game, a moment fans have been waiting for finally arrived. Following back-to-back plays to Kaytron Allen – first a pass for 11 yards, then a run for 10 yards – Allar took a deep shot to wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith. Unlike some previous deep attempts in the game, this one was not only right where it needed to be, but it proved to be the kill shot, as Lambert-Smith shook off a defensive back Jordan Grier to score with just under two minutes to play.
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“Obviously, Drew being able to sit in there and deliver that ball, and KeAndre being able to make the play, finish and stay in bounce, was awesome,” Franklin said after Penn State’s win. “We got to be able to continue to do that, but that was awesome.”
It took just one play for the defense to put the game away, as edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton not only sacked Sorsby, but also forced a fumble. The ball bounced around for nearly twenty yards before ultimately falling out of the back of the end zone to give Penn State both a two-score lead and the ball back.
Penn State fans can watch James Franklin’s complete postgame press conference above.
