It was another suspect day for the special teams on Saturday. Penn State had another penalty on one of K.J Hamler’s punt return, and then a penalty when they interfered with Purdue catching a punt. Penalties on special teams were a problem for the Nittany Lions last week, as well.
In addition, Purdue recovered a fumble on a punt when the ball hit off Penn State’s Jonathan Sutherland. Jake Pinegar also missed his first field goal of the season, a 35-yarder. He’s now four of five on field goals for the season.
The punt returns were a bit sloppy all around on Saturday, and special teams mistakes can’t be afforded against Iowa, where you know a big special teams play is probably going to have a massive impact on the game.