STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – It was far from a flashy 34-27 victory for a Penn State football team looking to rebound from a disappointment of a week ago. When the matchup between #24 Indiana (7-3, 4-3) and #9 Penn State (9-1, 6-1) came down to crunch time, it was a fourth down decision in the final quarter that ultimately determined the fate for the Hoosiers.
With 1:48 remaining and the score at 27-24, Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford used his legs to stretch across the goal line on a 4th down and 1 yard play. The Nittany Lions finished 2-2 on fourth down conversions and Clifford finished the day with 55 yards rushing on 10 carries and two touchdowns.
When asked about his late game play calling, Penn State head coach James Franklin said, “It was the right decision… it worked.”
After star wide receiver KJ Hamler left the game in the first quarter with an undisclosed injury, he was oddly seen with a bull horn cheering teammates on from the tunnel at moments during the game. Penn State shifted gears on offense following Hamler’s absence and turned to another young star in-the-making running back Journey Brown.
“You know how KJ is… KJ be KJ at the end of the day,” said Brown of his teammate Hamler.
Journey Brown finished the day with 100 yards rushing on 21 carries and one touchdown. “Our offensive line played great, giving me holes and time to hit them.”
Penn State’s passing defense suffered mightily for the second week in a row. Indiana’s top ranked Big Ten passing attack torched Penn State for 371 yards.
Next up for the Nittany Lions is a visit at the Horseshoe on Saturday, Nov. 23 with #2 Ohio State. Game time is set for noon.
