Throwback Thursday: Penn State rallies past Indiana in RCA Dome
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Penn State will be a double-digit home underdog this weekend against No. 2 Indiana, which is rare for the Nittany Lions in this series. Penn State has historically dominated the Hoosiers, leading the series 25-2 going into this year's meeting. Indiana didn't get its first win against Penn State until their 17th meeting in 2013, but the Hoosiers certainly came close prior to that.
Let's throw it back to Oct. 28, 2000, when Penn State and Indiana faced off for a prime-time game inside the RCA Dome, which was home to the Indianapolis Colts at the time. Neither team was having a good season to that point, with Penn State sitting at 3-5 and Indiana entering at 3-4. The losing record was a surprise for the Nittany Lions, who entered the season ranked No. 22 and hadn't had a losing season since 1988. The record wasn't much of a surprise for the Hoosiers, who hadn't had a winning season since 1994.
Still, Indiana had some juice that season with its option offense. Quarterback Antwaan Randle El was ahead of his time, going on to lead the team that season with 1,270 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. He'd finish his career as Indiana's second all-time leading rusher. Next to him in the backfield was running back Levron Williams, who finished the season with 821 yards rushing and 10 scores.
The Hoosiers would score first against Penn State that night. After a 20-yard run earlier in the drive, Randle El got a late pitch out to Williams, who scooted to the pylon for a 25-yard score and a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
Penn State's offense also ran the football well, led by dual-threat quarterback Rashard Casey and the running back tandem of Eric McCoo and Larry Johnson. Penn State answered Indiana's touchdown one of of its own, with Johnson slicing through the defense for a 12-yard rushing score to make it 7-7. The Hoosiers would come right back down the field on the legs of Randle El. They'd score from 5 yards out on a handoff to fullback De'Wayne Hogan, who had a clean lane to the end zone because the Nittany Lions keyed in on Randle El and Williams on the outside.
Late in the second quarter, the Nittany Lions would tie the game up behind a 5-yard touchdown run for McCoo, who finished the game with 94 total yards and that score. The game was tied 14-14 going into the second half, but Indiana hoped to change that quickly. The Hoosiers opened the third quarter with a surprise onside kick to take the ball near midfield, but a botched pitch later in the drive would prevent them from capitalizing on the chance.
Later in the third quarter, Penn State seemed poised to take the lead on a 3rd-and-goal play. McCoo reached the ball for the goal line, but he had it punched out by an Indiana defender. On the following drive, Indiana scored when Williams broke free for a 26-yard run, fumbled at the goal line, and then recovered his own fumble for the touchdown to make it 21-14.
The Nittany Lions answered again with Casey finding Kenny Watson deep for a 35-yard reception and later hitting tight end John Gilmore for the 3-yard touchdown on a bootleg pass. With a 21-21 tie, things slowed down considerably thanks to some good defense and a few mistakes. Penn State missed a 28-yard field goal and then made a 37-yard field goal. Randle El threw an interception, but later led a field goal drive to tie it at 24-24 with 1:55 left.
Casey had a chance to lead a game-winning drive on a two-minute drill, and he executed to perfection. He had a first-down run and first-down passes to McCoo and Gilmore to work the Nittany Lions into field goal range. From there, Ryan Primanti booted through a 39-yard field goal to give Penn State its first lead of the game with just 18 seconds to go. They'd close it out for a 27-24 win.
In the context of the season, the win against Indiana couldn't turn things around for the Nittany Lions. They'd lose to a one-win Iowa team the next weekend and then to Michigan the following weekend to end any hopes of a bowl game appearance. Still, the win over the Hoosiers was a memorable moment in an otherwise forgettable season for Penn State. Of course, the 2025 Hoosiers are much better than their 2000 team, but the Nittany Lions will look to pull the upset this weekend.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Throwback Thursday: Penn State rallies past Indiana in RCA Dome
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