Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith reacts gestures during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Indiana, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

UNIVERSITY PARK — There is no arguing the effort was there on Saturday afternoon for Penn State after a crushing 27-24 loss to Indiana that would have been the biggest upset of the season in college football.

Any arguments that the Lions have checked out, however, should be put to rest.

Penn State isn’t in the business of accepting moral victories, but it’s becoming clear the players are playing hard for the interim coach put in a tough situation.

“I’m super proud of the effort they put out there,” Terry Smith said. “I feel awful for them. They did everything we asked of them. We just came up short.”

It’s clear fans are appreciating what Smith is doing. He received a loud applause before the game on the videoboard during introductions.

“He’s a great coach,” wideout Trebor Pena said. “He deserves all the recognition and success he gets. To see that is amazing.”

Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer is one of Smith’s believers. Grunk, who discussed his team giving great effort before taking any questions from the media, is in a similar position as Smith.

“He’s super deserving,” Grunkemeyer said of the fan support. “The situation he came into is not an easy one. His first three games are some of the top defenses in the country. Being able to transition like that and lead our group, you have to commend him for that. I’m so happy he got that.”

Smith, a Penn State lifer, talked about being in the same position as his former head coach and how he doesn’t take this interim role lightly.

“I think back to Joe Paterno and him running on the field,” he said. “I’m in the same position as he was. I have to do better for my guys. They deserve victory.”

Effort and desire of the team were questioned by some earlier last week, but Smith pointed out he doesn’t share the same viewpoint.

“No one will ever question a Terry Smith team that they don’t play hard,” he said.