Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti has been a part of numerous improbable victories since his first head coaching job in 2011.
In 2018, Cignetti led Elon University to an upset victory over James Madison University, which was ranked as the No. 2 team in the Football Championship Subdivision prior to the matchup.
Just three weeks ago on Oct. 11, Cignetti guided Indiana to a 30-20 victory against then-No. 3 Oregon. The win marked the first road victory over an Associated Press top-five team in program history.
However, none were as unlikely as Indiana’s 27-24 victory over Penn State on Saturday.
During an Indiana timeout with 2:14 left on the clock, and Penn State controlling possession of the ball, ESPN Analytics gave the Nittany Lions a 92.9% chance to win the game. But with a contested seven-yard touchdown catch from redshirt junior wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., the Hoosiers retook the lead with 36 seconds remaining.
“But it was the most improbable victory I’ve ever been a part of,” Cignetti said postgame. “And there couldn't have been a better place to make it happen.”
The Hoosiers were without senior wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, who exited Indiana’s Nov. 1 game against Maryland with a hamstring injury. Sarratt led Indiana with 10 touchdown receptions heading into Saturday, forcing sophomore wide receiver Charlie Becker to step into a larger offensive role.
Coming out of high school, Becker was a consensus three-star recruit. He signed his letter of intent to Indiana on Dec. 20, 2023, before officially enrolling in June 2024.
Prior to Saturday, Becker had not secured more than two catches and 52 receiving yards in a game across his collegiate career.
During his freshman campaign, most of Becker’s playing time came on special teams, and he added one rushing attempt for three yards. He did not record a catch in 2024.
But Becker delivered in an expanded role Saturday.
The Nashville, Tennessee, native served as the primary target for redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza against the Nittany Lions. The quarterback’s first connection with Becker was a 53-yard deep-ball to set up an 18-yard rushing score in the first quarter.
The two routinely connected for chunk gains throughout the afternoon, as the duo combined for seven completions for 118 yards.
Despite his individual success on the field Saturday, Becker credited his growth to the people around him in the locker room.
“I think I’ve grown a lot,” Becker said postgame. “You know, it helps having probably the best wide receiver coach in the country in Coach (Mike) Shanahan. And especially last year, learning from Elijah, and you know, Coop (Omar Cooper Jr.), and Myles Price of the Vikings, and all those guys from last year.”
Indiana began its final possession of the game trailing 24-20 with just 1:51 remaining on the clock. The Hoosiers’ offense sputtered throughout much of the second half, scoring just three points before their final drive.
Before Mendoza connected with Cooper Jr. for an improbable game-winning touchdown, Becker made a leaping 17-yard catch over the top of a Penn State defender. Becker’s catch set the Hoosiers up inside the 10-yard line –– one of his crucial plays in the close contest.
“Charlie made some fantastic plays,” Cignetti said. “He’s taken advantage of his opportunities this year.”
Despite the odds stacked against the Cream and Crimson, they pulled through to secure the win.
“Super proud of our team and our players,” Cignetti said. “Refused to lose in the bleakest, most dire moments when it looked impossible.”
If Sarratt is unavailable for the Hoosiers’ next contest against Wisconsin at noon on Nov. 1, Becker would be in line for another breakout performance.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
