5 takeaways from Penn State's last-minute loss to Indiana

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It was a tale of two halves between Penn State and Indiana. Based on the first half, the Hoosiers were likely to run away with the game. However, the Nittany Lions fought back in the second half and led with less than five minutes left.

Indiana went down the field and scored with under a minute left, ending the upset hopes of the Penn State faithful.

Here are five takeaways from the Nittany Lions' heartbreaking loss to No. 2 Indiana.

Grunkemeyer growing

Ethan Grunkemeyer showed poise in the pocket throughout the game. In the first half, he made a couple of questionable passes, but in the second half, he was growing right before everyone's eyes.

Grunkemeyer proved he can push the ball down the field, finding Trebor Peña down the field on a couple of throws. For an offense that essentially refused to push the ball down the field in prior games, things could change with Grunkemeyer's growth and connection to Peña.

The redshirt freshman quarterback went 22-for-31 for 219 yards and a touchdown, moving well in the pocket, while getting much better protection.

Slow start plagues upset effort

Penn State looked like how it's looked in the past four games in the opening half. Despite keeping things close, the offense wasn't producing much and a key turnover set up Indiana to go up multiple scores at halftime.

The Hoosiers had full control of the first half, at times, moving the ball at will. It wasn't until the second half when Penn State woke up from its funk and looked like a team that was ranked just a little over a month ago.

However, with the slow first half, the Nittany Lions played from behind and needed a major comeback to even have a chance of the upset.

2024 Nick Singleton returned

Penn State's impeccable comeback was big in part due to Nick Singleton looking like his old self.

Singleton had his first big run of the season, breaking off a 59-yard rush before finishing the job on a one-yard rushing touchdown.

Singleton averaged 7.1 yards per rush, totaling two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown, looking like his former self. If he can continue to run like he did against Indiana, a really good rushing defense, the Nittany Lions may have more success with a more favorable rest of the season.

The senior running back outran Kaytron Allen, who was key in short yardage situations, but the big runs came from Singleton, like it was last season.

Jim Knowles' defense showed up

Indiana had one of, if not the most dynamic offense in the country, entering Saturday's game. The Hoosiers had the sixth-best rushing offense, averaging 245.67 yards per game on the ground

However, Penn State held the rushing attack to just 108 yards on the ground, with veteran players like Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant stepping up to limit a part of the game that was seen to be a difference maker.

Additionally, Mendoza was thrown off a bit but the different looks from the Nittany Lions' defensive unit. Despite a clutch drive, the entire defense looked like a strong cohesive unit holding one of the top offenses to just 27 points.

Freshmen make impact

Under James Franklin, there were a lack of plays from freshmen players. Despite a lot of hype around certain players, Franklin didn't get them much playing time.

In Saturday's game against Indiana, Terry Smith unleashed some of the freshmen impact players. Koby Howard played the most snap he's played all season, catching two passes for 28 yards.

On the defensive side, Daryus Dixson made multiple strong plays from the cornerback position, including a sack that held Indiana to just three points. Linebacker Alex Tatsch also stepped up next to Amare Campbell. With Penn State leading, Tatsch made a major stop in the passing game, showcasing his coverage ability. Yvan Kemajou also added depth at pass rush, including a big bat down late in the game.

If Smith continues to utilize freshmen in the game, the future of the team, depending on the transfers, could be on full showcase for coaching candidates, or Smith himself.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: 5 takeaways from Penn State's last-minute loss to Indiana

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