Penn State football nearly pulled off an upset over an undefeated No. 2 Indiana team and played its best game all season, representing who the Nittany Lions (3-6, 0-6 Big Ten) were when they started the season second in the nation. While the three-point loss was another heartbreaking scenario in a devastating Penn State season, interim head coach Terry Smith was not disappointed in the fight that his team had on Saturday.
College football fans pile on Penn State after another heartbreaking loss
After the game, he spoke with reporters and admitted that what the blue and white did against the Hoosiers (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) was not their pique performance. Though he knows his team can play better, Smith stood behind how hard Penn State played.
"I think we played competitively," Smith said. ". . . I think it's close to a good game, but there's always room for improvement."
The areas Smith specifically pointed out were defensive decisions on third down and minimizing penalties. The Nittany Lions took five penalties for 37 yards against Indiana. Defensively, they allowed the Hoosiers to complete five of their 12 third-down attempts and remained relatively even with them in terms of offense. However, it was crucial moments where Penn State's defense allowed Indiana to find a rhythm and get itself back in the game.
Terry Smith: We can play better, but not harder pic.twitter.com/ZYZEz8Lwvp
— Mike Gross (@MikeGrossGRP) November 8, 2025
The biggest moment was the Hoosiers' final drive of the game that resulted in a touchdown, putting them back in the lead and eventually tallying the last score of the afternoon between both teams.
This drive included four completions, each over 10 yards, to push Indiana down the field: a 22-yard completion from quarterback Fernando Mendoza to wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., a 12-yard pass to wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr., a 29-yard reception caught by tight end Riley Nowakowski, and a 17-yard reception from wide receiver Charlie Becker that he caught with his foot just landing in bounds.
Capping off Saturday's contest, Cooper Jr. barely kept his toe in the end zone, connecting with Mendoza for a seven-yard touchdown completion with 36 seconds left. The catch on third-and-seven dismissed the defensive efforts Penn State started the drive with all the way back in Indiana territory and the final set of stops on first and second down inside the Nittany Lions' 10-yard-line.
Terry Smith commends effort, but says Penn State can still play better
The attitude Penn State has is there. There's grit, determination, and a whole lot of energy on its sideline. On Saturday, the Nittany Lions clawed their way back from a 20-7 deficit at one point and held the Hoosiers to a field goal while doing so. They had a 24-20 lead over the second-ranked team in the country in a game people anticipated Indiana to come away with easily.
"I'm super proud of these guys, they played their hearts out, and I wouldn't do it any other way. We fought back, these guys could've packed it in, they could've easily quit," Smith continued. "When we were down, when we had the fumble before the half and then they come out and we had the interception, they could have laid down and quit. And they dare not do that. So, we're going to come back tomorrow, we're going to get back at it, and we're going to be ready to play Michigan State [in Week 12]."
Penn State has the fortitude, but Smith wants to see his team play to its full potential. Against No. 1 Ohio State, there were glimpses of impressive moments. In Week 11, the Nittany Lions took a huge leap and nearly put a dent in the Hoosiers' undefeated record. For the final three games of the season, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Rutgers, Smith is expecting the very best out of the blue and white mixed with that grit.