DALLAS (FWAA) – Indiana is the winner of the Cheez-It Crunch Time Play of the Week for Week 11 for Omar Cooper Jr.'s remarkable touchdown catch in the back of the Penn State end zone that kept the Hoosiers unbeaten, as selected by the All-America Commitee of the Football Writers Association of America.
Perhaps the play of the year in college football the capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive without a timeout, moved Indiana to 10-0 on the season.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza was 5-for-7 for 87 yards on the drive that started with him being sacked for a 7-yard loss. Mendoza hit Cooper Jr. for 22 yards, though, to keep the drive and the game alive.
On 3rd-and-goal from the Penn State 7, Mendoza threw off his back foot toward the back of the end zone. Cooper Jr. made a leaping grab and somehow got his left foot down inbounds for the go-ahead score.
"We refused to lose in the bleakest, more dire moments when it looked impossible," said head coach Curt Cignetti after the game. "With no timeouts, barely a minute to go, and haven’t done anything offensively in quite a while. The quarterback’s been taking a lot of shots all game. To all of the sudden start making plays like – we made incredible plays – and score at the end like that, it’s a game of inches. It truly is. And the team refused to lose."
The 2025 season marks the first year the FWAA has presented the award under its new name, the Cheez-It Crunch Time Play of the Week, spotlighting the single most decisive play from the weekend’s games. Each winning team receives a custom Cheez-It care package delivered to its campus.
ABOUT KELLANOVA
Kellanova (NYSE: K) is a leader in global snacking, international cereal and noodles, and North America frozen foods with a legacy stretching back more than 100 years. Powered by differentiated brands including Pringles®, Cheez-It®, Pop-Tarts®, Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats®, RXBAR®, Eggo®, MorningStar Farms®, Special K®, Coco Pops®, and more, Kellanova's vision is to become the world's best-performing snacks-led powerhouse, unleashing the full potential of our differentiated brands and our passionate people. Our net sales for 2024 were $13 billion. For more detailed information about our commitments, our approach to achieving these goals, and methodology, please visit our website at kellanova.com.
ABOUT FLORIDA CITRUS SPORTS
FCS is a not-for-profit event management organization dedicated to positively impacting the Orlando region while enhancing the quality of life in Central Florida through world-class events, including the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, the Pop-Tarts Bowl, the Florida Blue Florida Classic, the Camping World Kickoff and the FC Series. For more information, visit FloridaCitrusSports.com.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,100 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.