For just the second time in program history, Indiana football finds itself sitting at a perfect 9-0. The last time the Hoosiers reached that mark came in 2024, Curt Cignetti’s debut season as a Power Four head coach. It’s a remarkable turnaround for a program that, not long ago, made headlines for the wrong reason — becoming the first in college football history to reach 700 losses after a 2022 defeat to Maryland. Now, Indiana is rewriting its narrative, but a challenging road test awaits.
This week, the Hoosiers travel to Happy Valley to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions — a matchup rich with history, though rarely in Indiana’s favor. While Penn State has only been part of the Big Ten since 1990, the two teams have met 27 times since 1993, with the Hoosiers managing just two wins in the series. Their last triumph came in 2020, when Michael Penix Jr. etched his name in IU lore with his unforgettable diving two-point conversion to seal a dramatic overtime victory.
This year’s clash carries a different tone. What was once expected to be a top-five showdown has lost some of its national luster, with Penn State plummeting from its preseason No. 2 AP ranking to unranked. The Nittany Lions also suffered a major setback when starting quarterback Drew Allar went down with a season-ending injury in Week 7 against Northwestern. Now, redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer steps in to lead the offense — and despite his youth, Cignetti isn’t taking him lightly.
“I think week to week people are always morphing a little bit, and this is a talented guy that was very highly recruited out of high school, set a lot of records in Ohio,” Cignetti stated Monday. “He’s tall. He can spin the ball. He moves well enough to get out of trouble. He’s made some impressive throws. He can get it out of his hand fast. You can see with every series, every snap, he’s improving and he’s learning. He’s a good player.”
Grunkemeyer, a former four-star recruit in the 2024 quarterback class, was ranked the No. 8 signal-caller nationally by 247Sports. His first taste of college action came late last season, when he attempted just two passes during Penn State’s playoff rout over SMU — completing one to his own team for nine yards, and another to Mustang cornerback Brandon Crossley.
Now, as a redshirt freshman, Grunkemeyer has started twice this season against Iowa and No. 1 Ohio State, completing 42 of 67 passes for one touchdown and three interceptions. His lone score came during a Week 3 blowout win over Villanova. The numbers may not jump off the page, but his composure and command have noticeably grown with each drive. Still, the Nittany Lions’ true offensive firepower lies elsewhere — in their thunder-and-lightning backfield duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton.
“Well, having two of them makes [it] even more difficult to stop because they can rotate them in and out and keep them fresh,” Cignetti said of the pair. “They’re both explosive. They’re both fast. One might be a hair bigger than the other one, one might be a tad quicker than the other. But those are NFL guys. They were impressive against Ohio State.”
Indeed, both backs embody next-level talent. Singleton entered the 2025 campaign leading all active FBS players in career all-purpose yards (4,673), with 2,912 on the ground, 768 through the receiving end, and 993 on kickoff returns. His 41 total touchdowns — including a memorable 100-yard return — highlight just how dynamic he’s been since arriving in Happy Valley. After a 2024 season featuring 1,099 rushing yards, 12 rushing scores, 375 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns, Singleton opted to return for one more run alongside his backfield partner Allen, who has shared the room with him since they were both freshmen.
Allen, meanwhile, has been just as consistent and perhaps even more efficient this year. The senior posted 1,108 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns last season, and through nine games in 2025, he’s already matched his career-high in rushing touchdowns (10) while posting his best yards-per-carry average yet (5.8). He’s tallied 688 rushing yards so far, while Singleton — though quieter statistically with 292 rushing yards — continues to make an impact with seven rushing scores and 16 receptions for 123 yards.
Together, Allen and Singleton form one of the most balanced and explosive backfield duos in college football — and Indiana’s defense will have its hands full containing them on Saturday.
For Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, that means a week of meticulous preparation. The challenge goes beyond Penn State’s rushing attack — with limited film on redshirt freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, the Hoosiers have less to study than usual. On top of that, the Nittany Lions are navigating a midseason coaching change. Their Week 7 matchup against Northwestern — when Drew Allar went down with his season-ending injury — was also James Franklin’s final game at the helm. Now, Penn State is under the direction of interim head coach Terry Smith, a shift that’s prompted questions about how much Indiana’s game plan might adjust.
Cignetti, however, isn’t overthinking it.
“Well, it’s all on tape, so you prepare for what you see on tape,” he said. “UCLA was a particular situation where there were new coordinators on both sides of the ball and had really kind of done a 180. You see Penn State really landed on the line on tape; impressed with that football team. But the coordinators are still in place, so schematically there’s not a big change.”
Smith, a Penn State lifer, is no stranger to the program’s culture. A former Nittany Lion wide receiver from 1987 to 1991, he’s spent more than a decade on staff — first as a cornerbacks coach, then as an assistant head coach, and most recently as associate head coach before stepping in as interim. His deep ties and steady hand have helped maintain continuity through the transition.
Despite Penn State’s turbulence — losing its starting quarterback, parting ways with its longtime head coach, and tumbling out of the AP Top 25 — the Lions remain a dangerous opponent. After opening the season ranked No. 2 nationally, they slid to No. 7 following a loss to Oregon and ultimately fell out of the rankings after a stunning upset by previously winless UCLA. Now, they’ll look to reclaim some pride under the lights of Beaver Stadium.
And what a stage it is. With a capacity crowd of over 106,000, Beaver Stadium will be the largest environment Indiana has faced all season — dwarfing the roars of Kinnick Stadium (69,251) and Autzen Stadium (59,625). For Cignetti, it will mark his return to one of college football’s loudest venues since last year’s clash with Ohio State in front of 105,751 fans.
The atmosphere will be daunting, but the Hoosiers are no strangers to adversity. They’ve battled through noise, pressure, and expectation all season long — and each week, they’ve continued to “stack days,” as Cignetti likes to say. If Indiana brings that same relentless focus and execution to Happy Valley, they have every chance to crush the Lions’ spirit and inch one step closer to history.
FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff will once again spotlight the Hoosiers this Saturday (Nov. 8) at Noon EST — their second feature in three weeks and Penn State’s second straight appearance. With a 10-win regular season on the line and a chance to topple the Lions on the road for the first time ever, this matchup promises to be one of the defining moments of Indiana’s storybook season.