Despite James Franklin’s firing four weeks ago, Happy Valley is still mourning due to a 3-game losing streak since then. During his 12 seasons, Franklin made sure Penn State won the games it was supposed to win. But against top-10 teams, his record was a dismal 4-21. That notion quietly broke when the Nittany Lions lost three straight games, including ones against unranked opponents like UCLA and Northwestern. All blame was on HC, who exited with a $49m buyout. But the last game against the Hoosiers intensified that exit to another level.

Although Indiana snagged their 10th win from the Nittany Lions, the victory was far from perfect. Penn State fought tooth and nail to regain its lost pride. That’s what struck the analyst Joel Klatt most. The Fox Sports veteran doesn’t fully believe the Hoosiers’ obvious win in their 2025 run tells the whole story. He saw a different Penn State team with the potential to save James Franklin’s job. “That is a roster that, outside of the quarterback, is still a top three, four, or five roster in college football. They started the season rated number two in the country,” Klatt said on his show.

“And we saw it like they played better in this game than they have played going all the way back to the Oregon game at home, which they lost in double overtime to a really good Oregon team that only has one loss.” Against Oregon, Penn State managed just 109 yards of offense through three quarters and averaged only 1.8 yards per carry in the first half. So, was a leadership change what Penn State needed?

Klatt further explains, “They found some things in that second half offensively with Ethan Grunkemeyer and their run game with Singleton and Allen.”Penn State already entered the Indiana game with a tough 3-5 record. After firing James Franklin following the first six games, interim head coach Terry Smith stepped in to take the reins. It’s been a rollercoaster with all the changes.

Adding an extra layer of problems is veteran QB Drew Allar being out for the season with an ankle injury. The offense had to lean heavily on backup Ethan Grunkemeyer, who’s still finding his footing in live games. But the performance against Indiana told a different narrative. Can you imagine that the Nittany Lions took the lead late in the fourth quarter? All thanks to Nicholas Singleton’s third touchdown catch on a 19-yard reception from Grunkemeyer.

Singleton, who had been struggling all year, broke free for a huge 59-yard run and scored two more touchdowns in the explosive second half. Ethan Grunkemeyer, in his third career start, stabilized the offense, completing 11 of his last 13 passes. On defense, Penn State stepped up with eight tackles for loss. Defensive standout Zane Durant frequently flushed Fernando Mendoza out of the pocket, while linebackers Amare Campbell and Dom DeLuca made several key tackles behind the line. All this was absent for the past three games when the Nittany Lions were falling back in every aspect.

Klatt pointed out one more thing that led Penn State to play so hard. “The crowd was alive,” Klatt said. “I’ve got to tell you, I’ve called a lot of games in Beaver Stadium, and normally they’re really big games with great opponents, and I hate to say it this way, but I’ve yet to see Beaver Stadium really rock.” The Nittany Lions won three games at home this season, making Beaver Stadium a witness to their dominance. But due to the losing streak, all the fans’ energy took a back step.

Before Saturday, the Nittany Lions had dominated the matchup 25–2 and had never lost at home. They won all 13 games at Beaver Stadium. So, yeah, the Hoosiers came into Happy Valley pretty used to walking out with an L in front of 105,231 fans in attendance.

Curt Cignetti’s happy tears post-game

Curt Cignetti’s reaction after Indiana’s nail-biting 27-24 win over Penn State was something you don’t see every day in college football. The guy legit broke down in tears. Indiana was playing one of its fiercest rivals, and the way the game ended was straight-up savage and epic. With just 40 seconds left, Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza pulled off the kind of play coaches dream about but rarely get to see.

He found wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. for a ridiculous game-winning touchdown that led Cignetti to be emotional during the post-game presser. When asked about Mendoza’s composure on that final drive, Cignetti said, “Refused to lose.” He admitted he’d never seen anything quite like it in all his coaching days. Plus, this wasn’t a run-of-the-mill win; it was Indiana’s second 10-win season ever, making the moment monumental.

This game had everyone believing it might be an easy Indiana walkover, given Penn State’s struggles this season. But the Nittany Lions fought tooth and nail. All this without HC James Franklin and without their star QB Drew Allar.