Key Iowa players expected to miss White Out at Penn State

On Saturday night, Penn State football will welcome the Iowa Hawkeyes to Beaver Stadium for the annual White Out game. While it may not be the colossal top-10 showdown that fans have come to associate with the White Out, it’s still Penn State’s first ranked matchup of the year, with the No. 7 Nittany Lions and No. 24 Hawkeyes facing off in primetime. Historically one of the best defensive teams in the nation, the Iowa offense has been deemed the deciding factor in the Hawkeyes’ success this season. However, in the program’s updated depth chart released on Monday, it appears that several key Iowa football players, Luke Lachey, Kaleb Johnson, and Jaziun Patterson, will miss Saturday’s game. 

Iowa football playmakers Luke Lachey, Kaleb Johnson, and Jaziun Patterson expected to miss White Out game

On Monday afternoon, Iowa football released its weekly depth chart ahead of its White Out matchup with Penn State on Saturday. However, the update was missing several key playmakers on the offensive side of the ball for the Hawkeyes. 

In the backfield, Iowa is expected to be without starting running back Kaleb Johnson, as well as backup Jaziun Patterson. David Eickholt, reporter for 247Sports’ Iowa affiliate, Hawkeye Insider, broke down the impact for Iowa. 

“It’s still early in the season, but Iowa has seen some adversity with injuries to Jaziun Patterson and Kaleb Johnson,” Eickholt wrote. “LeShon Williams reminded folks what he’s capable of when he exploded for 145 yards on 12 carries. He also caught a pair of passes for 27 yards and a touchdown.” 

However, the most significant loss for the Hawkeyes was that of starting tight end Luke Lachey. After Iowa’s win over Western Michigan on Saturday, pictures circulated on social media showing Lachey in a walking boot. According to reporting on Monday afternoon, Lachey could miss the rest of the year with a right leg injury.

Luke Lachey postgame: pic.twitter.com/kC0BHgrjSc

— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) September 16, 2023

“A devastating blow to the Iowa offense as it appears that Luke Lachey will miss significant time after a nasty lower leg injury against Western Michigan,” Eickholt wrote. “The Hawkeyes feel good about the depth at tight end with All, Ostrenga, and Stillianos. But with All being the only proven impact player– Ostrenga and the room will have to find a way to make things work.”

What does this mean for Penn State football?

Obviously, the loss of several of Iowa’s top playmakers could prove to be a significant boost to Penn State, who is a 14.5-point favorite in Saturday’s game.

LeShon Williams showed up in a big way for Iowa last week. Of course, he will face much stiffer competition in the Penn State defense. While there is some perception that the Nittany Lions have been soft in the run game this season, the stats don’t show it. Opponents are averaging 96.7 rushing yards per game on 3.1 yards per carry against Penn State this year.

The loss of Lachey is significant for the Hawkeyes, as the tight end was one of the best in college football. However, Penn State fans are all too familiar with the matchup of Erick All and quarterback Cade McNamara. When both still played at Michigan, McNamara and All connected on 4 passes for 64 yards in a devasting 21-17 defeat of Penn State in 2021. The two connected for a game-winning 47-yard touchdown pass with 3:29 left in the 4th quarter during that game.

Saturday’s primetime matchup between Penn State and Iowa will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on CBS.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at basicbluesnation@gmail.com or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!