Penn State Football: Position grades versus Iowa

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STATE COLLEGE, PA – OCTOBER 27: Trace McSorley #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions is helped off the field by medical staff as head coach James Franklin looks on against the Iowa Hawkeyes on October 27, 2018 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Coaching

While there has been a lot to comment on lately, I thought this was a pretty well-coached game. The offense played pretty well, and the defense was outstanding. The only concern was how unprepared the Penn State was on special teams.

Special teams allowed two safeties, one on a bad snap, and the other on a dropped snap that turned into a block. In addition, they allowed a fake field goal touchdown, which you almost never see. With mistakes like that, Penn State was lucky to get the win on Saturday.

There was also an instance where head coach James Franklin called a timeout during a Jake Pinegar field goal attempt and iced his own kicker. Fortunately, Pinegar made the next attempt as well.

If special teams is straightened out, I like Penn State’s chances to put up a great fight in Michigan, and maybe even come out with a win. What seemed like a lost season to most, turned into a real chance at a New Years Six Bowl, depending on the performance in Ann Arbor next week.

There’s certainly a ton at stake, so we’ll see how the coaches prepare the team for the game in Michigan.

Grade: B+

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