Head coach James Franklin took his Penn State team into Bloomington in desperate need of a win after dropping back-to-back contests against Ohio State and Michigan State. The Hoosiers had just one Big Ten win on the year, but still presented a tough task for the Nittany Lions. Things got closer than they should have late, and Penn State had to fend off a near-comeback by the Hoosiers in order to escape with the 33-28 victory.
Exciting freshman KJ Hamler got things rolling early for the Nittany Lions when he returned the opening kick 58 yards. Penn State needed just five plays — capped by a Miles Sanders touchdown run — to take the early lead.