No. 12 Penn State Football Charges Past Iowa Hawkeyes with 41-14 Blowout
No. 12 Penn State (7-2, 5-1) continued its trend of success this past weekend as the team took on the historically formidable Iowa Hawkeyes.
Thanks to incredible efforts on defense and smart play-calling on offense, the Nittany Lions trounced the Hawkeyes, 41-14.
The majority of those in attendance at Beaver Stadium followed through with Head Coach James Franklin’s requests for a second whiteout.
Although the crowd was not quite as rowdy as they were against Ohio State, the 12th man effect was noticeable as Iowa struggled against not just those on the field, but the decibel of sound from the fans.
Starting quarterback Trace McSorley (Ashburn, Va.) praised the community for rallying around the team.
“We have such a big home field advantage with this crowd and being able to pack Beaver Stadium,” said McSorley. “I think that was huge for us, being able to get the crowd into it and make it that much harder on, and really make it the most difficult place to play in college football.
Coach Franklin echoed the sentiment, calling the home-field advantage “unbelievable,” and that the 106k fans in attendance were “awesome” and that they had a “significant impact” on the win.
The first touchdown of the game came just over two minutes into the first quarter, when McSorley hit Saeed Blacknall (Manalapan, N.J.) with a crisp, 19-yard pass to lock in the first points of the game.
Saquon Barkley (Coplay, Pa.) sang high praise of Blacknall’s performance.
“Saeed’s a playmaker, especially in the whiteout for some reason,” said Barkley. “ somehow finds a way to make a big play or touchdown.”
Kicker Tyler Davis (St. Charles, Ill.) was consistent all night, barring one blocked field goal in the first quarter.
The second touchdown was scored by none other than Barkley who ran for 57 yards and cruised into the end zone.
After an impressive 44-yard pass to Mike Geisicki (Manahawkin, N.J.), McSorley ran for a single yard to make the score 21-0.
“Every single week we improve, but I think we were extremely physical tonight with an extremely physical Iowa team,” said Geisicki. “So to go out there and play the way we did at a physical level and… we’re just happy.”
A play got away from the Lions in the second, allowing Iowa one of its just two touchdowns on the game.
Just before halftime Davis kicked a 30-yard field goal against the wind to send the Lions to the locker room up by 17 points.
After a scoreless first five minutes of the third quarter, Davis kicked yet another long field goal, this time 37 yards, to bring the Lions up to a 27-7 lead.
The fourth quarter started out on an exciting note as safety Troy Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa.) intercepted an Iowa pass to swing the momentum back in Penn State’s favor.
The Lions capitalized on the interception with McSorley passing to Barkley who then ran 44 yards for an incredible touchdown.
To cap off the evening, back-up quarterback Tommy Stevens (Indianapolis, Ind.) scored a touchdown thanks to a skilled run and brute force as he shoved through several Iowa defensemen to get to the end zone.
Iowa was able to score one more touchdown as the Penn State defense left a route open on Iowa’s final possession.
The final score of the evening was an impressive 41-14 win for your Nittany Lions.
With no end to their success and determination in sight, Penn State travels to Indiana University to kick off against the Hoosiers at noon next Saturday. Be sure to tune in to watch your No. 12 Penn State Nittany Lions continue their quest toward greatness!
Thanks to incredible efforts on defense and smart play-calling on offense, the Nittany Lions trounced the Hawkeyes, 41-14.
The majority of those in attendance at Beaver Stadium followed through with Head Coach James Franklin’s requests for a second whiteout.
Although the crowd was not quite as rowdy as they were against Ohio State, the 12th man effect was noticeable as Iowa struggled against not just those on the field, but the decibel of sound from the fans.
Starting quarterback Trace McSorley (Ashburn, Va.) praised the community for rallying around the team.
“We have such a big home field advantage with this crowd and being able to pack Beaver Stadium,” said McSorley. “I think that was huge for us, being able to get the crowd into it and make it that much harder on
Coach Franklin echoed the sentiment, calling the home-field advantage “unbelievable,” and that the 106k fans in attendance were “awesome” and that they had a “significant impact” on the win.
The first touchdown of the game came just over two minutes into the first quarter, when McSorley hit Saeed Blacknall (Manalapan, N.J.) with a crisp, 19-yard pass to lock in the first points of the game.
Saquon Barkley (Coplay, Pa.) sang high praise of Blacknall’s performance.
“Saeed’s a playmaker, especially in the whiteout for some reason,” said Barkley. “
Kicker Tyler Davis (St. Charles, Ill.) was consistent all night, barring one blocked field goal in the first quarter.
The second touchdown was scored by none other than Barkley who ran for 57 yards and cruised into the end zone.
After an impressive 44-yard pass to Mike Geisicki (Manahawkin, N.J.), McSorley ran for a single yard to make the score 21-0.
“Every single week we improve, but I think we were extremely physical tonight with an extremely physical Iowa team,” said Geisicki. “So to go out there and play the way we did at a physical level and
A play got away from the Lions in the second, allowing Iowa one of its just two touchdowns on the game.
Just before halftime Davis kicked a 30-yard field goal against the wind to send the Lions to the locker room up by 17 points.
After a scoreless first five minutes of the third quarter, Davis kicked yet another long field goal, this time 37 yards, to bring the Lions up to a 27-7 lead.
The fourth quarter started out on an exciting note as safety Troy Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa.) intercepted an Iowa pass to swing the momentum back in Penn State’s favor.
The Lions capitalized on the interception with McSorley passing to Barkley who then ran 44 yards for an incredible touchdown.
To cap off the evening, back-up quarterback Tommy Stevens (Indianapolis, Ind.) scored a touchdown thanks to a skilled run and brute force as he shoved through several Iowa defensemen to get to the end zone.
Iowa was able to score one more touchdown as the Penn State defense left a route open on Iowa’s final possession.
The final score of the evening was an impressive 41-14 win for your Nittany Lions.
With no end to their success and determination in sight, Penn State travels to Indiana University to kick off against the Hoosiers at noon next Saturday. Be sure to tune in to watch your No. 12 Penn State Nittany Lions continue their quest toward greatness!
