Penn State Football 2018 Season Rewind: Nittany Lions pick up important win vs Iowa

Penn State football changed its fortunes at home in a big conference game 

After struggling in the previous week at Indiana, but still coming out with a victory, Penn State football headed home looking for a better outcome than the last two home games. The Beaver Stadium crowd hadn’t had much to cheer about after blowing late leads to both Ohio State and Michigan State at home.

The last weekend in October brought a tricky matchup with an always tough Iowa team.

On a day where the conditions were tough thanks to rain for the majority of the game, Penn State struggled out of the gate before coming back and holding off a late effort by the Hawkeyes. When it was all said and done, the Nittany Lions escaped with a much-needed 30-24 victory.

Iowa jumped out to an early lead thanks to some mishaps on special teams by the Nittany Lions. Penn State’s opening drive saw a punt get blocked and roll out of the end zone for a safety. Iowa took the ensuing free kick from Penn State and drove down for a field goal.

If the Beaver Stadium crowd wasn’t already nervous, things got even worse when, after a three-and-out by the Nittany Lions, the Hawkeyes went up 12-0 thanks to an fake field goal that saw Iowa’s punter throw a touchdown pass to a defensive lineman.

Penn State was able to withstand the miserable start and stuck for a touchdown late in the first quarter on a Trace McSorley to Pat Freiermuth pass.

Iowa racked up another safety and a field goal in the second quarter, but the Nittany Lions scored on a Tommy Stevens run and added a 45-yard Jake Pinegar field goal late to tie the game at 17 going into the break.

The big news for Penn State from the first half was that McSorley spent some time in the medical tent due to an apparent knee issue. Fortunately, he would miss only three drives before returning back to action.

McSorley’s knee looked more than okay when he broke off a 51-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to give Penn State the lead.

Although Iowa had a pick-six in the fourth quarter, the Hawkeyes never got closer than three points. Thanks to two more field goals from Pinegar, the Nittany Lions found themselves up by six late.

Iowa made a late charge and was set up with a first-and-goal from the Penn State three, but Nick Scott made a great play and jumped a Nathan Stanley pass to help preserve the win for the Nittany Lions.

Knocking off the Hawkeyes was a huge win for the Nittany Lions, particularly after the mishaps in the previous two home games. It was a great way to close out October and a potential momentum builder heading into a tough matchup at Michigan to start November