Fernando Mendoza launched a prayer toward the back corner of the end zone with Indiana trailing by four points.
Omar Cooper went up for the ball.
The Hoosiers receiver made the catch at its highest point. As defenders pushed him toward the sideline, he managed to get one foot down inside the boundary.
Just.
Fox play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson kept repeating the same word: “Unbelievable.”
The touchdown gave Indiana a 27-24 lead over Penn State with 36 seconds remaining. The Hoosiers turned a potential season-ending loss into what may have saved their perfect record.
Officials Uphold Controversial Touchdown Call
The touchdown stood after video review, though the call sparked immediate debate.
Cooper needed only one foot inbounds for a legal catch in college football. The question was whether that foot touched the white sideline boundary.
Replay angles made it difficult to determine which foot hit the turf first. If Cooper’s right foot landed first, the toe-tap technique would count as inbounds since it lifted back up immediately.
If the left foot touched down initially, it appeared to land just inside the white line.
Any contact with the boundary line would have ruled the pass incomplete.
Great throw. Even better… pic.twitter.com/sT54K1UJiz
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 8, 2025
The initial ruling favored Indiana. Officials called it a touchdown on the field, making the burden of proof higher for overturning the play.
After review, the touchdown call stood.
