Takeaways: What did we learn about Penn State football vs Iowa?

The White Out is always one of the most beautiful spectacles in all of college football, and Saturday night was no different. Penn State football had one of its most complete performances of the season, blanking No. 24 Iowa 31-0 on national television. What did we learn about Penn State in Week 4? Here are five takeaways from the win over Iowa.

Penn State defense dominates

This game will go down as one of the most dominant performances from start to finish that we have seen in James Franklin’s tenure at Penn State. The defense held Iowa to some staggering numbers. The Hawkeyes only mustered 76 total yards for the game and were held to 20 rushing yards on 17 carries. The Hawkeyes only had 33 plays for the entire game, partly due to going 1-9 on 3rd down and only getting 4 1st downs throughout. 

A week after Penn State football forced 5 turnovers at Illinois, the Nittany Lions returned to the White Out to force 6 fumbles and recover 4. When Iowa was forced to try and throw the ball in the 2nd half, the defense pinned its ears back and got after quarterback Cade McNamara. Chop Robinson, Adisa Isaac, and Dani Dennis-Sutton were in the backfield all game and caused the havoc that many Penn State football fans expected entering the season. This is the defense that makes the Nittany Lions a Playoff contender.

Drew Allar was efficient

When you look at the box score, the yardage isn’t necessarily going to pop off the page for Drew Allar. The sophomore finished 25-37 for 166 yards, good for 4.5 per attempt. It was an efficient offense in what was a pretty soggy game from the mid-1st quarter on. 

Allar consistently was able to throw the ball on a rope all night, and was especially efficient in the red zone, throwing a career-high 4 touchdowns. Even simple plays like out routes toward the sidelines were quick, on time, and enough to move the chains. 

The run game got going in the 2nd half, which opened the passing game even more, allowing Allar, who was patient all game, to cash in for some touchdowns. Part of the lower yardage wasn’t necessarily related to Allar and the offense, but primarily because of the defense forcing turnovers and giving short fields. It also helps when you are up 31-0 with 12 minutes to go in the game, and the backups can play out the remainder.

The offense wore down Iowa

The one complaint that some fans had about the offense on Saturday was the lack of explosive plays. But Penn State didn’t really need to be explosive based on the game flow. 

While the Nittany Lions only scored 10 points in the 1st half, they had multiple long drives that ate up the clock and proved crucial for the 2nd half success. In total, Penn State ran 97 plays compared to Iowa’s 33. The Nittany Lions controlled the time of possession, 45:27 to 14:33. 

It was a truly dominating performance that was spearheaded by the ground game between the 20s throughout the 2nd half, and resulted in Allar finishing drives with touchdowns through the air. You could tell throughout the game that Iowa’s defense was getting tired, and nobody took advantage more than Kaytron Allen. Allen rushed 21 times for 72 yards and continually punished the Hawkeye defense.

White Out atmosphere delivered

It was unknown how the White Out would look or feel with the rainy weather that was in the forecast. But, as always, the Penn State fans impressed. Saturday was the 2nd largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history, with 110,830 making their way through the gates. 

There were concerns throughout the week that the rain would also ruin the aesthetically pleasing look of a Penn State White Out. The clips posted by Penn State on social media throughout the week encouraging fans to wear clear and white ponchos must have worked. The images from the game were incredible. 

🤩🤩🤩 pic.twitter.com/VHAsO6SuLS

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) September 24, 2023

The energy from the game was there from the start, and Iowa had multiple false starts and timeouts as the play clock ran down. Despite the game getting out of hand quickly in the 2nd half, a large portion of the crowd stuck around until the finish. This impressed the CBS crew, who made their first trip back to Beaver Stadium in over 30 years.

Penn State got its revenge

When PJ Mustipher went down with a season-ending injury against Iowa in 2021 and was mocked and booed by Hawkeye fans, it left a bad taste for Penn State football fans. James Franklin didn’t forget, and couldn’t have been more satisfied with how his team dominated from start to finish. 

The Penn State defense squeezed the life out of the Iowa offense and hit Cade McNamara all night. The offense ground down the Hawkeyes and took the soul from their great defense. It was probably one of the most satisfying wins for Nittany Lion fans in years. 

Yes, Ohio State and Michigan fans will always be the ones who Penn State fans go head to head with the most, but Iowa has slipped up into a close third. You could feel it throughout the game. I think it is part of why so many fans stuck around throughout the blowout despite the poor weather conditions.

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!