The Indiana Hoosiers managed to escape a tough situation at Happy Valley, with Curt Signetti’s team beating the Penn State Nittany Lions 27-24 in the last minute at Beaver Stadium.
For a minute there, it looked like the Nittany Lions were going to pull off an amazing upset against the No. 2 team in the nation, but then stepped in wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. with what is already being called “the catch of the year.”
ONE OF THE GREATEST CATCHES YOU’LL EVER SEE
OMAR COOPER JRpic.twitter.com/Cet0qjVORu
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 8, 2025
With 36 seconds left on the clock, in a third-and-goal situation, Cooper Jr. leaped off the turf near the end of the field to catch a seven-yard shotgun pass from quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The jump seemed more at home in an NBA court than on a football field, with Cooper Jr.’s head being almost at the level of the lower bar of the goal posts.
“That has to be one of the best catches I’ve seen… w/the game on the line, on the road in a building you’ve never won before, KUDOS!,” wrote one fan.
“catch of the year,” simply said someone else.
“Un freaking believable,” joked another individual.
A few fans seem to believe that the officials made the wrong decision.
“Wasnt a catch. Replay showed right toe never touched in bounds and the heel on his left foot was out,” explained someone.
In general, fans were ecstatic.
“Omar Cooper Jr. just rewrote the highlight reel, making that catch look like physics bowed down and said “my bad” 😭🔥👐,” joked someone.
“Watched it live & I’ll admit, it was one of the best catches I’ve seen in a while. Without that catch, #Indiana likely doesn’t beat Penn State. 🏈,” explained one fan.
“Best part of this is the 10 secs of silence before we finally realized what we just thought we saw was real,” said someone.
Award-winning play? Some fans seem to think so.
“So there’s your ESPY winner for best college football play,” wrote another fan.
Who Is Indiana Playing Next?
The Indiana Hoosiers have two games left in their schedule: against the Wisconsin Badgers at home on November 15 and against the Purdue Boilermakers on the road on November 28. Both games should be mere formalities for the Hoosiers.
The real question is who they will play in the Big Ten championship game. At the moment, the most likely answer is Ohio State, the only other team with a perfect Big Ten mark. But the Buckeyes have yet to play the Michigan Wolverines to close out their season in “The Game.” With a record of 5-1, the Wolverines could sneak into the championship encounter if they beat Ohio State.
USC, Iowa, and Oregon are also in contention, with records of 5-1, 4-1, and 4-1 in the Big Ten, respectively.
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