2023 Penn State football game grades: Iowa

The White Out provided an atmosphere like no other for No. 7 Penn State to take down No. 24 Iowa on Saturday. The Nittany Lions shut out the Hawkeyes 31-0 to grab their second Big Ten win of the year.

Here is how the blue and white did in its second prime-time appearance of 2023.

Offense: B+

Penn State’s offense had a rough start to the game after it produced three points in three possessions. For the second week in a row, the Nittany Lions relied on their defense to force turnovers and set up the offense to score.

Mike Yurcich relied heavily on the rush attack throughout the night, with rain pelting down. On 57 rushes, Penn State notched out 215 yards on the ground, with Kaytron Allen leading the way with 77 yards on the day.

Drew Allar had another impressive stat line with 166 yards and four touchdowns on 25 completions on 37 attempts. The sophomore struggled to handle the ball in the wet conditions which led to the majority of his passes remaining close to the line of scrimmage.

10 different receivers were targeted in the contest as KeAndre Lambert-Smith led the way with eight receptions, 66 yards and a touchdown. The Allar and Lambert-Smith connection continues to grow as the season progresses.

The offensive line had a solid day, not allowing any sacks, but six tackles for loss were a big reason for Penn State’s season-low 3.8 yards per run.

Defense: A+

Not much explanation is needed for this grade. The Nittany Lions’ defense made a statement for the entire world to see against a Big Ten opponent. Penn State allowed Iowa’s offense to generate 76 yards and four first downs throughout 60 minutes of play.

The most eye-opening stat line of the night for the blue and white was obviously the zero on the scoreboard, but also the zero red zone trips the Hawkeyes had.

Penn State continued winning the turnover margin with four fumbles recovered. Chop Robinson was one of four Nittany Lions to force a fumble and one of three players to record a sack.

Robinson’s strip-sack was “the play” to put the blue and white past Iowa and solidify his ticket as a Penn State defensive player of the week candidate.

The secondary played lights out across the field as Dominic DeLuca, Jaylen Reed, Kevin Winston Jr. and Dani Dennis-Sutton all recorded pass breakups. Iowa’s air attack completed six passes on 16 attempts for 56 yards.

Special Teams: B-

Curtis Jacobs was flying all over the place on special teams, and while it doesn’t show on the stat sheets, he was a factor in the 31-0 win.

Alex Felkins nailed a 46-yarder and all the extra points but pulled one in the fourth quarter from 43 yards out. Taking into account the wind and rain, Felkins has continued to show why he remains Penn State’s kicker.

On punts and punt returns, the Nittany Lions gave up precious yards off whiffed kicks and letting the ball roll within the 20-yard line. Kaden Saunders also fumbled during a return that could have set up the Hawkeyes in the red zone and potentially erased the White Out shutout.

Coaching: A-

While the White Out is one of the biggest home-field advantages in college football, it can also be extremely difficult to communicate on the defense. Manny Diaz and James Franklin got the team as prepared as they could have been when dealing with the noise.

Not only did the coaching staff manage to juggle with the action on the field but also the events happening off the field. A long list of recruits and former players showed out, whom Franklin and his staff made time to go meet with.

Fans: A

For the first time this year, the fans got a grade after they created a deafening environment for the Nittany Lions to thrive in. Penn State’s faithful showed out with the second-largest attendance in Beaver Stadium history and stuck through the cold, wet conditions to support its team.

Micheal Bolger is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email mpb6233@psu.edu.