The redshirt sophomore stepped back with nine seconds on the clock. He turned to his right.
He saw his freshman wide receiver Roger Lewis create separation on a fade route as he ran toward the corner of the endzone.
Knapke released a touch-pass just over the head of IU senior cornerback Tim Bennett. The ball fell into Lewis’ outstretched arms for a Bowling Green touchdown as Bennett fell to the ground.
Bennett looked around with his arms spread out looking for an answer. He reached for his face mask, motioning for the referee to throw a flag he wouldn’t get.
Knapke turned toward the sideline with his arms raised into the air. He was greeted by Falcons teammates before he even got to the bench, which was erupting with cheers.
The former-backup quarterback making his second career start had just led Bowling Green to a game-winning drive in the final seconds to beat IU 45-42.
“It was a shootout,” IU senior linebacker Forisse Hardin said. “When it comes down to it, we just had to make a stop.”
But with the game on the line, there was no defensive stop.
Saturday was just another road loss for an IU team needing early-season nonconference wins if the program wants any chance of reaching its first bowl game since 2007.
“We played a really good team on the road,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said. “(We) didn’t make a few plays. They did.”
IU took a 42-39 lead with 2:04 remaining with a one-yard, diving touchdown run by junior quarterback Nate Sudfeld on a fourth-and-goal.
On Bowling Green’s ensuing possession, the Falcons moved the ball 88 yards in 12 plays for the game-winning score.
The Hoosiers (1-1) had their chances to make game-winning stops, but the defense couldn’t slow the Falcons’ (2-1) offense.
With about a minute left at midfield, Knapke completed a 12-yard pass to Lewis on third-and-one for a first down.
Bowling Green was at IU’s 35-yard line facing third-and-two with 27 seconds remaining when a Knapke pass seemingly fell incomplete.
But IU senior cornerback Kenny Mullen was charged with pass interference, breathing back new life into the Falcons and bringing them to the 16-yard line.
On the next play, Knapke sent a pass destined for the endzone toward Lewis with senior cornerback Michael Hunter defending.
Hunter made contact with Lewis in the endzone, sending him to the ground. He never got his head around to look at the ball and the referee threw a flag.
The Hoosiers were faced with devastating back-to-back pass interference penalties, setting up Knapke’s game-winning touchdown pass to Lewis.
“We had them third and long, and we let them off the hook,” Wilson said. “They got midfield, worked a couple screens. We had two PIs. They got it down to the endzone.”
Wilson said he didn’t think Bowling Green was necessarily going for the win on the final drive.
He said he thought they would have been fine with kicking the field goal and sending the game to overtime. But the Hoosiers’ two pass interference penalties brought the Falcons about 30 yards closer to the endzone.
Those penalty yards let them go for the win.
“When we’re going on the road, we’re not expecting to get anything,” Hardin said. “We’re expecting everything to go against us. I mean, it just wasn’t our game.”
The extra point after the touchdown was blocked. But by then, it didn’t matter.
The Hoosiers had one final chance, but Bowling Green’s James Sanford knocked down Sudfeld’s Hail Mary attempt.
Sudfeld finished 31-of-41 for 347 yards and threw for one touchdown. Junior running back Tevin Coleman rushed for 190 yards and three touchdowns.
In what was a back-and-forth game, IU and Bowling Green exchanged the lead 10 times Saturday.
But Knapke’s touchdown in the closing seconds would prove to be the most ?dramatic.
He finished with 395 yards and three touchdowns, completing 46-of-73 passing attempts.
“Today, we had the opportunity to play a good team,” Wilson said. “We let one go.”
