Through 59 minutes of football, it looked like the Penn State Nittany Lions might finally have secured a win they can be proud of in what has been a rough 2025 season.
Playing at home against No. 2 Indiana, Penn State held a 24–20 lead with less than a minute to play and the Hoosiers driving with goal-to-go. One stop from the stout Nittany Lions defense, and they would play spoiler to what has been a dream 9–0 start for Indiana.
But quarterback Fernando Mendoza and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. had other ideas. Facing third-and-goal with 39 seconds to play, Mendoza found Cooper in the back of the end zone. While Cooper was pushed out by his defender, he was somehow able to sneak in a toe tap right before the green turf turned white.
As luck would have it, the ever-excitable Gus Johnson was on the call for Fox, and the touchdown, which proved to be the game-winner, sure broke his brain.
“In troubleeeee, it’s AHHHHGGGGG,” Johnson cried as Cooper came down with the ball.
When the ref held up his hands to signal the score, he exploded. “TOUCHDOWN, WOOOOOOOAAAAW” Johnson exclaimed through a cracking voice. “Omar Cooper! Unbelievable!”
After replays showed just how impressive Cooper’s catch was, Johnson was joined by color commentator Joel Klatt in his incredulity.
“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” Klatt said while watching the replay. “That’s the best catch I have seen all season long!”
It wasn’t just Gus and Joel that were impressed. Across the college football landscape, fans expressed their disbelief in Cooper’s incredible catch.
For fans in the know, Johnson losing his voice over the madness of college sports is nothing new—his brand of calling a game is to always be running at 110% power. But when that power matches up with an ending that undeniably deserves his level of excitement, there are few things better in all of sports.
