Indiana was driving, again. Starting at their own 13, the Hoosiers marched into Penn State territory late in the fourth quarter, 37 yards from a game-tying touchdown.
There had been defensive breakdowns for the Lions -- on Saturday and on occasions weeks before. They had given up the big play, watching as it unfolded.
On Saturday, with but one minute and 11 seconds remaining in the game, Tony Pittman made the big play, intercepting a John Paci pass and preserving a 38-31 victory in front of 91,000 on a brisk, overcast afternoon at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State's secondary struggled again, as has become the norm, surrendering 379 yards in the air and allowing Indiana wide receiver Thomas Lewis 285 yards, including touchdown catches of seven and 99 yards.
They kept Indiana in contention for three-fourths of the game. And then, with one good pass rush and one good read, took them out at a time when it counted. The end.
"No, it wasn't a great day for us," cornerback Shelly Hammonds admitted. "But it just shows, in the clutch we're a pretty good football team."
It had been a tug-of-war, the offenses at the anchor, the defenses just muddy-faced. Twice Penn State grabbed leads of 14 behind a thrashing offense and twice the defense invited the Hoosiers back into the game.
Indiana's defense was equally hospitable. It roared in from the west with three shut-outs under its belt and an average of allowing only 9.3 points per game. On Saturday, the Hoosiers came only 38 points shy of recording their fourth shutout.
"I didn't think we could get that many points against them," Coach Joe Paterno said. "We played much better offensively than I thought we would."
Behind a rejuvenated Kerry Collins-to-Bobby Engram tandem and the same old Ki-Jana Carter, the Lions rolled up 423 yards of offense.
Carter, who finished the day with 138 yards on 23 carries, scored the first two Penn State touchdowns, the first by cycolonically spinning for 3-yards and the second a 22-yard gallop. Lou Benfatti set up the score, levying a thunderous hit on Jermaine Chaney and forcing a fumble, which Brian Gelzheiser covered-up.
The score stood at an apparently tranquil 17-3 upon completion of the first quarter until Indiana's thunder (Chaney), lightning (quarterback John Paci) and tsunami (Lewis) poured down on the Lions.
After a spectacular 48-yard catch, Lewis pulled the six-shooters out of the holster and fired fighting words from his flaring fingers, indicating the beginning of the shootout at the Happy Valley Corral. Funny thing, his target was Pittman.
It was an emotional halftime for the Lions, after watching their lead vanish into the night and teammate Eric Ravotti, strapped to a stretcher, vanish into the runway.
Ravotti collapsed on the sidelines, the victim of a seizure and was taken immediatley to Centre Community Hospital.
"For a little while that took us out of the game," Hammonds said. "I've never been that scared."
Bouncing back quickly after an inspiring halftime session, Penn State tacked on two more touchdowns, a 10-yard touchdown catch by Bobby Engram and a 2-yard run by Brian Milne, building again a lead, 31-24, which would soon diminish.
Lewis toasted the secondary for two more big catches, one the 99-yard touchdown catch, the other a 48-yarder setting up the game-tying score which knotted the game at 31 with 7:39 to go.
Benfatti described the letdown as "frustrating," but quickly added with a nod of his head, "but we'll take care of it. We can't dwell on it."
Instead he would rather dwell on the positive. Engram's 45-yard touchdown catch on a post pattern, where he made one juke and blasted for the endzone for instance. Or Pittman.
Paci dropped back to throw, hurried again by a Penn State pass rush which reappeared on Saturday. Tyoka Jackson pursued. Jeff Perry pursued. Paci rolled and rifled.
Pittman, shot-down earlier by the finger wielding Lewis, stepped forward and picked off the pass. There would be no more see-sawing, there would be no more lead shifts.
Lewis and his armory headed to the losing lockeroom, as it was an unarmed Pittman who made the biggest catch of the afternoon.
Notes:
-- In addition to Ravotti, Carter and offensive lineman Bucky Greely experienced less serious injuries on Saturday.
Greely left the game in the first half with a concussion and didn't return. Carter also late in the first half but returned limpless in the second half after receiving a cortisone shot.
"I thought I was hurting the team so I just took myself out," Carter said, "because there's no need -- they don't need to have a spider that's slow when we have two other good tailbacks."
-- Brain Gelzheiser led the Lions in tackles again with 13, giving him 75 on the season, the most for any Lion defender in the past three years.
-- Carter's 138 yards left him three shy of reaching 1,000 for the season. It was the seventh time this season he surpassed 100 yards rushing.
