Best Finish Ever? College Football Fans Rave About Indiana vs. Penn State Finale

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Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who entered the No. 2-ranked Hoosiers’ game on Saturday against the Penn State Nittany Lions as the odds-on favorite for the Heisman Trophy, didn’t do anything to take himself off that pedestal.

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What Were CFB Fans Saying About Indiana’s Win?

There were a lot of shaky moments, though, for Indiana as the Nittany Lions took a lead in the fourth quarter at Happy Valley in State College, Pa. But Mendoza pulled a rabbit out of his QB hat late in the fourth quarter, hitting wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. in the back of the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown.

Cooper made a sensational catch, a literal toe-tapper. Indiana held on for a 27-24 victory over a game Penn State team. College football fans were beside themselves, too, after seeing the Hoosiers put together a comeback for the ages.

After watching Mendoza work his magic, one college football fan headed out to X and decided to celebrate with an interesting post.

Another fan was enthralled with Indiana’s late answer against the Nittany Lions at Happy Valley. The fan headed out to X and wrote, “Just saw the most incredible two minutes of a college football game where u of Indiana beats Penn State. If you see the sports news, you’ll see this incredible catch, made to win the game for the Hoosiers. Unbelievable. Jim Wright, Virginia.”

Of course, college football fans were tuned into watching the Indiana-Penn State showdown on Fox. The main college football broadcasting crew was on hand, which meant fans heard lead play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson go wild. It’s just something that Johnson, who was joined alongside Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt, is known for around the sports world.

Well, one fan wanted Johnson to get some help for his voice, which pretty much cracked on Mendoza’s game-winning touchdown pass. The fan posted online, “Somebody get my man Gus Johnson some peppermint tea, whatever he wants to eat for dinner after that Indiana/ Penn State game.”

As for this college football fan, that incredible, toe-tapping touchdown catch from the Hoosiers will be a lifetime memory. The fan was totally aghast, in a good way, with how Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti and his players handled the entire situation.

“I just saw Indiana University pull off a win at Penn State in the final 2 minutes of the game with what was maybe the best touchdown catch I’ve ever seen,” the fan wrote.

He then followed it up with the explanation: “Saw a head coach choked up about his players’ refusal to quit. Saw the next probable Heisman Trophy winner with the receiver that made that touchdown catch – start off his comments with a reporter giving all glory to God. Both of them. Sold…”

Finally, this succinct summation of the entire final quarter might be the best of all. This fan wrote, “That Indiana vs Penn State game was crazy”.

According to the PFSN’s CFB Offense Impact metrics, Indiana has a 93.3 Offense Impact Score and grades out to an A, ranking right behind Washington in the metrics.

Yes, it was crazy, but it’s college football crazy, which makes it that much more fun for Indiana and more painful for Penn State, which lost its sixth straight game after opening up with three straight wins.

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