BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The cheers proclaiming the No. 2-ranked Nittany Lions as overrated were followed by a celebration that erupted in the stands of Memorial Stadium.
With no time remaining, Indiana's Hoosiers completed an improbable comeback capped by a two-point conversion from quarterback Chris Dittoe to Ajamu Stoner. Penn State still won, 35-29, the final touchdown only made the game seem a lot closer than it actually was.
Only moments later, Dittoe heaved a 45-yard prayer as time expired for the touchdown.
Dittoe's wobbly pass floated to the Penn State 5-yard line, where it was tipped first by Lion hero Cliff Dingle, then by cornerback Tony Pittman. It fell into the hands of Hoosier receiver Dorian Wilkerson for the late score.
Indiana Receiver Coach Frank Kurth put his arm around Wilkerson and congratulated the freshman wideout.
"It must be nice making the game-winning touchdown," Kurth said. "Try not to get too excited."
Only one thing though, it wasn't exactly a game-winning catch. Wilkerson's last-second heroics notwithstanding, the scoreboard still read Penn State 35, Indiana 29.
But the look of dejection on the faces of the Nittany Lion players didn't show it. Heads were hanging. Eyes were downcast.
"We won. Get your heads up, we won," Coach Joe Paterno told his team. "It's a good lesson for us. You've got to win a game where you don't play well."
A fourth quarter defensive letdown allowed the Hoosiers to outscore the Lions, 22-15. Dittoe threw three of his four touchdown passes in the last six-minutes, and 22-seconds of the game.
For the Lions (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten), it was an important victory on the road. Penn State is now one win away from clinching the Big Ten title and capturing a bid to the Rose Bowl.
But to the Hoosiers, it was a moral victory. They proved to the 47,754 in attendance, and the thousands watching the national telecast on ESPN that they belonged on the field with Penn State.
The Hoosiers deployed an eight-man front on defense to stifle the Lion rushing attack. Tailback Ki-Jana Carter carried 20 times for 192 yards, but on 10 of those carries he gained two yards or less. Four times Carter rushed for no gain and he was thrown for losses of two, one and four yards.
It was Carter's other 10 carries that did the damage, especially the 80-yard touchdown run at the 6:22 mark of the fourth quarter that gave the Lions a 35-14 lead.
Deadlocked at seven late in the second quarter, the game was a defensive struggle in the first quarter, and most of the second.
Lion quarterback Kerry Collins, who finished 20-of-32 passing for 213 yards, two TDs and two interceptions, threw a 7-yard pass to tight end Kyle Brady for the first score.
After replacing starter John Paci in the second quarter, Dittoe threw a 35-yarder to Stoner to tie the game at seven with 6:00 remaining.
Collins found Freddie Scott on the right sideline in the endzone for an 18-yard touchdown at 4:29 in the second. It was disputed whether Scott's right foot landed out of bounds, but the officials gave the Lions the call and a 14-7 lead.
Brett Conway added a pair of field goals, the first a 30-yarder to end the half and the other a 38-yarder in the third.
Mike Archie's 1-yard score at 13:33 of the fourth quarter completed a 15-play, 74-yard drive. Collins threw a pass to Archie for the two-point conversion to give the Lions a 28-7 lead.
Then Dittoe got hot, connecting with Stoner for a 6-yard touchdown. Dittoe completed 21-of-35 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns in less than three quarters. He also guided the Hoosiers for two more scores in the last 1:49 of the game.
But the game was already out of reach by that point. Carter's 80-yarder gave the Lions a 21-point cushion late in the fourth quarter.
"We had the game in control the whole football game," Paterno said. "We really weren't in danger of losing it. We just weren't crisp."
Four penalties were assessed against the Lions for 25 yards. Two of the penalties negated touchdowns.
The first was an illegal use of the hands that called back a Mike Archie punt return for a touchdown. The other came at 2:33 in the fourth when cornerback Marlon Forbes blindsided Dittoe and forced a fumble. The ball was recovered by Lion linebacker Brian Gelzheiser, who ran for an 80-yard touchdown, only to have the facemask called on Forbes.
The penalty gave the Hoosiers another opportunity to score, with the ball on Penn State's 16-yard line. Four plays later, Dittoe threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Baety to make it 35-21 at 1:49. After three plays, the Lions punted into Indiana's end zone. Then Dittoe led the Hoosiers on the final 80-yard scoring drive.
"I think the way it ended, the Indiana people felt like they won it," Paterno said. "I think the two touchdowns at the end probably put a little damper on it.
"But I told (the team) hey, it's a win."
