Goal-line stop preserves win for PSU

The Nittany Lions have never lost to Indiana.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -- Joe Paterno turned Penn State into Linebacker U. Fortunately for Paterno, the players still fit the nickname.
Linebackers Derek Wake and Paul Posluszny combined on three of four stops at the Nittany Lions 1 with less than two minutes remaining Saturday. The goal-line stand preserved Penn State's 22-18 victory at Indiana and ended a six-game losing streak.
"It's a good way to win -- on the defensive side," defensive end Tamba Hali said.
In a season where so much has gone awry for the Nittany Lions, it seemed a fitting tribute for the 77-year-old Paterno, who won his 342nd career game and 10th straight over the Hoosiers.
Penn State rallied in the fourth quarter with a long touchdown drive before turning things over to their highly rated defense. The last stand prevented the Nittany Lions (3-7, 1-6) from becoming the first Penn State team since 1931 to lose seven straight.
Tough defense
The Nittany Lions defense refused to let down Paterno, who has been under pressure to step down after this year. Indiana's 29-yard completion from Matt LoVecchio to Travis Haney, which put the ball at the Penn State 1 with 2:13 to go, only made the defense more determined.
"The best thing to do is hold them to four-and-out because those were the four last plays to play," Hali said. "Either we hold them or they score on us, and I guess we was more determined to win the game."
The defense seemed to know exactly what was coming.
On first down, Chris Taylor ran up the middle and was stuffed. Taylor tried again on second down and again was stopped for no gain. Then the Hoosiers had quarterback Matt LoVecchio run an option, but lost a yard when he was gang-tackled before he could pitch it.
Finally, the Hoosiers ran Taylor up the middle a third time, and again Posluszny stopped him short of the goal line. Game over.
Indiana (3-7, 1-6) lost its second in a row and its home finale for the third consecutive season.
"I thought that was the best strategy, that's how I thought we could win the game," Hoosiers coach Gerry DiNardo said. "When you're in those situations and it doesn't work, there's always a better call. Because we didn't score, I guess there will always be a better call."
The defense was expected to play that way.
Making plays
But the difference Saturday was Penn State's offense also made plays.
Michael Robinson caught six passes for 99 yards and one touchdown, which officials initially ruled incomplete. Replays, however, showed Robinson dragged his foot inbounds and into the front corner of the end zone. The call was reversed, and Robinson's 33-yard TD tied the score at 7.
Zack Mills finished 11-for-19 with 169 yards, one touchdown pass and one touchdown run, and led the Nittany Lions on an 80-yard, nine-play drive that produced the go-ahead touchdown when Tony Hunt ran 2 yards with 4:51 left. Mills then ran in the 2-point conversion to make it 22-16.
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