Third-ranked Nittany Lions head to Iowa City to battle Hawkeyes
Sports Network | November 05, 2008
Iowa City, IA (Sports Network) - The third-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions get back to the business of seeking a Big Ten title, as they travel to Iowa City this weekend to battle the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Joe Paterno's team sat idle a week ago, and although the top-ranked Texas Longhorns lost to Texas Tech, Penn State remained in the third spot in the national polls. When asked about the Red Raiders leap-frogging his team in the polls, Paterno had this to say.
"We've got to play Iowa. Iowa is a good football team. In fact, year in and year out, I think Iowa is as well-coached and has as tough kids as anybody that we play against. So, I haven't even thought about the other part of it. I can't do anything about the other part. The only thing my team and I can do anything about is Iowa."
That kind of focus was apparent when the team was last on the field, as Penn State posted a hard-fought 13-6 win at Ohio State. The victory put the Nittany Lions in the driver's seat in the Big Ten, with just three games remaining.
Kirk Ferentz's Hawkeyes are just 5-4 on the season and are coming off a 27-24 loss to Illinois last weekend. The loss snapped a two-game win streak for Iowa, which is now a mere 2-3 in league play.
This is the 21st all-time meeting between these two teams, with Penn State holding a narrow 11-9 advantage. Iowa had won five straight matchups between 2000 and 2004, but it was the Nittany Lions who got the win last season, a 27-7 romp in Happy Valley.
Penn State didn't do much offensively in Columbus two weeks ago, but that shouldn't affect the way people look at this offense. The Nittany Lions possess one of the most potent offensive units in the country, with the ability to beat teams both on the ground (226.3 ypg) and through the air (233.4 ypg). The result has been a gaudy 41.8 ppg thus far.
Daryll Clark is the engineer of this juggernaut, having completed 63 percent of his passes, for 1,652 yards, with 11 TDs and just two INTs. He is also netting 4.2 yards per carry and has recorded eight rushing scores.
The headliner of the rushing attack though is tailback Evan Royster, who is abusing opponents to the tune of 107.8 ypg, on 7.2 ypc. Royster is responsible for 10 of the team's 29 rushing scores to date.
When Clark does drops back in the pocket and look downfield, it is usually in the direction of WRs Deon Butler (32 receptions, for 497 yards, three TDs), Derrick Williams (28 receptions, for 295 yards, one TD) and Jordan Norwood (26 receptions, for 409 yards, five TDs).
While the offense struggled against Ohio State, the Penn State defense made a huge statement, limiting OSU to a mere six points (its fewest points at home since 1982) and 287 total yards, including just 61 yards rushing.
It was nothing new for a unit that sometimes gets overshadowed by the potent offense. On the season, foes are averaging a meager 11.1 ppg on just 265.9 yards of total offense.
As is the case with the offense, there are a number of players on this side of the football that have provided big plays, starting with linebacker Navorro Bowman. The 6-1, 228-pounder leads the team in total tackles (81), with 10.5 TFLs, three sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Of course Bowman is allowed to roam freely because of the exceptional play of the defensive line. Regarded as perhaps the top unit in the entire country, it is extremely difficult to contain players like Aaron Maybin (15.5 TFLs, 11.0 sacks), Josh Gaines (6.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks), Jared Odrick (5.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks) and Maurice Evans (2.5 TFLs, 2.0 sacks).
Iowa certainly has the ability to move the chains as well, but will face one of its toughest challenges to date in Penn State's defense. That is something that Coach Ferentz is certainly aware of.
"Penn State traditionally has had a great defensive football team. I know philosophically, a good defense always starts with trying to make your opponents play left-handed. I'm sure they're not going to make it easy for us to run the football. We anticipate that."
The Hawkeyes are averaging a solid 379.1 yards of total offense this season, with a heavy emphasis on the running game, netting almost five yards per carry and 190 yards per game.
Tailback Shon Greene is the team's top offensive weapon, averaging over six yards per carry thus far and 139.7 yards per game. He is also responsible for 11 of the team's 19 rushing TDs.
The passing game certainly takes a backseat in Iowa City, as QB Ricky Stanzi has completed 59.3 percent of his passes, for only 1,311 yards, with nine TDs and six picks. Wideout Andy Brodell is the top option in the vertical game, with 27 catches, for 454 yards and four TDs.
The Iowa defense has been much better than the offense this year and is currently yielding just 13.2 ppg and 301.6 yards of total offense. It has also been opportunistic, recording 20 takeaways, including 16 interceptions. Middle linebacker Pat Angerer is the top playmaker, pacing the team in total tackles (71) and interceptions (four). Cornerback Amari Spievey (46 tackles, three INTs) is another ballhawk for this defense. The one area that Iowa has struggled in is pressuring opposing QBs, with a mere 15 sacks in the first nine games. Defensive tackle Mitch King is the top performer along the defensive front. Out of his 43 total tackles, 11 have come behind the line of scrimmage, including three sacks (both team-highs).
