Terrell Golden ripped off his helmet after the final Hail Mary was slapped harmlessly to the ground. Photographers swarmed him as he took a knee, staring into space as Purdue celebrated around him.
The play wasn't particularly close -- the pass was short of the end zone.
But this pose was more a buildup of anguish. Not even from a heartbreaking 20-13 loss to No. 9 Purdue Saturday, but from three straight losses to undefeated teams, none of which were blowouts.
The redshirt freshman receiver, who had made a tremendous touchdown catch in the first half, remained in repose as he slowly rose to his feet, head hung.
But another freshman receiver, this one in his first year, came over to his forlorn teammate with a pat on the back. Mark Rubin, already the team's go-to receiver in just his second career start, walked off with Golden toward the tunnel, now with their heads held high.
Things look bleak in Nittany Nation, to be sure. One can only take this kind of heartbreak so much. Given this latest inspired performance, however, one won't have to suffer it much longer.
This is a team that is poised to not just be a decent bowl team next year and beyond, but one that could legitimately contend for supremacy in the Big Ten.
Little comfort after this gut-wrencher, but it is the experience that younger guys are getting, particularly at wide receiver, that is going to pay huge dividends before this season even ends.
"I thought their receivers made some unbelievable catches today and that's what they needed to do to really win football games," Purdue coach Joe Tiller said. "If they continue to play this way, they're going to win a lot of football games."
Rubin had just three catches for 38 yards, but his emergence allowed senior wideout Gerald Smith to slip into a more comfortable role as the No. 2 receiver.
Rookies are teaching the vets a thing or two, particularly on a defense that has quickly gone from a laughingstock last season to one of the most feared in the conference right now.
Watch true freshman Dan Connor out there, thrown into the fire, starting at middle linebacker in the place of an injured Tim Shaw, this after playing exclusively on the outside in the first five games of the season.
The defense didn't miss a beat. In his first career start he was out in the middle of defensive huddles, calling plays as a veteran defensive line gathered around him to take in every word.
Connor finished with 10 tackles, tied with fellow underclassman Paul Posluszny for the team lead, though Posluszny's day was cut short by injury.
In the absence of Posluszny, the leader of the 'backers, Connor filled in admirably. A core of those two plus Shaw bodes extremely well for the future.
Indeed, the defense as a whole can boast this positive outlook. The entire unit will lose only safety Andrew Guman and linebacker Derek Wake, and the latter had already been splitting time with Connor before injury struck.
The future is looking bright. But you know what? As much as the word "future" has been thrown around so far in this space, time is certainly relative.
The most brutal part of their schedule now behind them as they head into a bye week, the future for the Nittany Lions may very well start in two weeks against Iowa.
Penn State must win four of its final five games in order to make a bowl game, and with the performances these past few weeks, painful though they may have been, it's not a terribly far-fetched idea.
At 2-4, this bye week could be looked at as a time of mourning for Penn State. Instead, it should be a celebration of how well this team has come together these past few weeks.
The players deserve that much.
