UNIVERSITY PARK — Beside the word dominant in the dictionary will be the box score from Penn State football’s 31-0 win over Iowa Saturday night at Beaver Stadium over Iowa Saturday night at Beaver Stadium.
The team got off to a slow start, but it ended up dominating.
“Our defense played a suffocating style of D and we were able to get turnovers and we’re extremely ball aware,” Penn State coach James Franklin told reporters in his postgame presser. “But the other thing is again, we didn’t turn the ball over on offense, either.”
The win moved PSU to 4-0 overall and more importantly 2-0 in the Big Ten.
SUFFOCATING DEFENSE
Iowa gained 66 yards in the first quarter. It then lost three yards in the second quarter and lost another nine yards in the third before erupting for 22 yards in the fourth quarter.
Defensively, Penn held Iowa to a TOTAL of 33 plays, with 12 coming in the first quarter. Iowa wouldn’t go above eight plays in a quarter for the remainder of the game while only running four plays in the third quarter.
“There’s probably a few bigger defenses, but we are athletic and we’re quick,” Franklin said. “We’re faster, we’re explosive and we’re playing more consistent gap sound defense and, Manny (Diaz), he’s doing a great job from a big picture leadership perspective, but then also just getting everybody to understand how do you really play defensive football and what it takes.”
Curtis Jacobs led the way recovering two fumbles on a damp fall night. Adisa Isaac and Zuriah Fisher also added fumble recoveries along the way.
The Penn State defense was on the field for only 14:33 and spent absolutely no time it’s their endzone. Iowa didn’t get the ball past Penn State’s 18 yardline.
ACES IN THE HOLE
The tight ends were featured early and often with Tyler Warren, Khalil Dinkins and Theo Johnson all getting touches in the first half.
Warren hauled in two touchdown passes of two and seven yards respectively. Dinkins added the second touchdown of his career to get Penn State on the board in the second quarter.
Johnson was targeted six times, catching all six for 42 yards.
As a group, the tight ends were targeted a total of 12 times. To put that in perspective, outside of KeAndre Lambert-Smith, five receivers made up 14 targets.
It was the most they’ve been targeted this season and is a welcomed sight as the heart of the Big Ten schedule comes up.
COMPLETE CONTROL
For the time it would take to get from Beaver Stadium to Altoona, Penn State possessed the ball offensively. That’s 45:27 of possession.
The game didn’t start out quite the way Penn State would’ve liked, but after a first half where they scored only 10 points, Penn State came out firing on all cylinders for three second-half touchdowns.
“I think we’re finding different ways to win,” QB Drew Allar said. “Iowa is a very tough defense. They’re a very sound defense. They play very physical, They’re kind of a bend, but don’t break defense. It’s just one of those games you have to take care of the ball and not force anything that isn’t there. They do a great job of capitalizing on offense’s mistakes.”
Allar has done a phenomenal job of protecting the ball as has the entire Penn State offense as they’ve yet to turn the ball over this season.
Allar hooked up with Warren for two while adding a third to Lambert-Smith which was a beautiful pitch and catch.
Not only did the first-string offense dominate, but the second group added 88 yards of their own in the fourth quarter alone.
