Game Notes: at Penn State
9/28/2021 5:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – For the third time over the first five weeks of the season, the Indiana football program will hit the road. The Hoosiers will travel to State College, Pennsylvania, on Saturday (October 2) for a 7:30 p.m. matchup at Penn State on ABC.
--/RV INDIANA (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) at No. 4/6 PENN STATE (4-0)
Beaver Stadium
Saturday, Oct. 2 | 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC | RADIO: Indiana Hoosiers Sports Network
Setting The Scene
• --/RV Indiana (2-2, 0-1 B1G East) closes out its two-game road trip at No. 4/6 Penn State (4-0, 1-0 B1G East) on Saturday, Oct. 2. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EST at Beaver Stadium (106,572; Natural Grass) on ABC.
• IU defeated No. 8/7 Penn State, 36-35, in overtime to kick off the 2020 season on Oct. 24.
• The Hoosiers win over the Nittany Lions was the sixth against a Top-10 opponent in program history.
• Indiana is 7-3 in its last 10 road games.
• Redshirt senior Peyton Hendershot collected 100 yards in the win at Western Kentucky last weekend to become the first IU tight end since Dave Lilja in 1985 and just the fifth overall to reach the century mark.
The Coaches
• The 2020 American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year, Tom Allen is 26-24 (.520) in his fifth season as Indiana head football coach. His 24 wins over his first four years are the most for an IU head coach during that span. Allen was also named the 2020 Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year (Big Ten coaches vote) and the Dave McClain Coach of the Year (Big Ten media vote). (full bio on page 15)
• James Franklin is 64-28 (.696) in his eighth season at Penn State. Franklin served as Vanderbilt head coach (2011-13) and carries an overall record of 88-43 (.672).
News & Notes
• Indiana is 16-9 overall and 11-6 in Big Ten play since the start of 2019.
• IU's 16 wins share fourth and 11 victories are fourth in the B1G during that span.
• The Hoosiers have won 11 of its last 15 league games.
• Indiana was ranked in the 2021 preseason for the first time since 1969.
• IU appeared in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll for the 11th-straight week, a program record.
• The team voted WR Ty Fryfogle, TE Peyton Hendershot, LB Cam Jones, DB Marcelino McCrary-Ball, LB Micah McFadden, and QB Michael Penix Jr. season captains.
• Jones, McCrary-Ball, McFadden, and Penix were also 2020 captains.
• The Hoosiers (6-2, 6-1 Big Ten) finished the 2020 season with a No. 12 final rating from the Associated Press, their highest final ranking since 1967 (No. 4).
• Indiana's 11 B1G wins over 2019-20 tied for the most in school history over a two-year span (1987-88).
• IU has played in consecutive January bowl games (2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and 2021 Outback Bowl) for the first time in school history.
• Tom Allen reached win No. 25 in his 48th career game to become the third-fastest in program history to 25 victories behind James M. Sheldon (40 games) and James H. Horne (46 games).
--/RV INDIANA (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) at No. 4/6 PENN STATE (4-0)
Beaver Stadium
Saturday, Oct. 2 | 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC | RADIO: Indiana Hoosiers Sports Network
Setting The Scene
• --/RV Indiana (2-2, 0-1 B1G East) closes out its two-game road trip at No. 4/6 Penn State (4-0, 1-0 B1G East) on Saturday, Oct. 2. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EST at Beaver Stadium (106,572; Natural Grass) on ABC.
• IU defeated No. 8/7 Penn State, 36-35, in overtime to kick off the 2020 season on Oct. 24.
• The Hoosiers win over the Nittany Lions was the sixth against a Top-10 opponent in program history.
• Indiana is 7-3 in its last 10 road games.
• Redshirt senior Peyton Hendershot collected 100 yards in the win at Western Kentucky last weekend to become the first IU tight end since Dave Lilja in 1985 and just the fifth overall to reach the century mark.
The Coaches
• The 2020 American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year, Tom Allen is 26-24 (.520) in his fifth season as Indiana head football coach. His 24 wins over his first four years are the most for an IU head coach during that span. Allen was also named the 2020 Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year (Big Ten coaches vote) and the Dave McClain Coach of the Year (Big Ten media vote). (full bio on page 15)
• James Franklin is 64-28 (.696) in his eighth season at Penn State. Franklin served as Vanderbilt head coach (2011-13) and carries an overall record of 88-43 (.672).
News & Notes
• Indiana is 16-9 overall and 11-6 in Big Ten play since the start of 2019.
• IU's 16 wins share fourth and 11 victories are fourth in the B1G during that span.
• The Hoosiers have won 11 of its last 15 league games.
• Indiana was ranked in the 2021 preseason for the first time since 1969.
• IU appeared in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll for the 11th-straight week, a program record.
• The team voted WR Ty Fryfogle, TE Peyton Hendershot, LB Cam Jones, DB Marcelino McCrary-Ball, LB Micah McFadden, and QB Michael Penix Jr. season captains.
• Jones, McCrary-Ball, McFadden, and Penix were also 2020 captains.
• The Hoosiers (6-2, 6-1 Big Ten) finished the 2020 season with a No. 12 final rating from the Associated Press, their highest final ranking since 1967 (No. 4).
• Indiana's 11 B1G wins over 2019-20 tied for the most in school history over a two-year span (1987-88).
• IU has played in consecutive January bowl games (2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and 2021 Outback Bowl) for the first time in school history.
• Tom Allen reached win No. 25 in his 48th career game to become the third-fastest in program history to 25 victories behind James M. Sheldon (40 games) and James H. Horne (46 games).
Players Mentioned
FB: Pat Coogan Media Availability (9/23/25)
Tuesday, September 23
FB: Aiden Fisher Media Availability (9/23/25)
Tuesday, September 23
FB: Week 5 (at Iowa) - Curt Cignetti Press Conference
Monday, September 22
FB: Fernando Mendoza - Illinois Postgame Press Conference (09/20/25)
Sunday, September 21