Before Saturday's game, interim head coach Terry Smith said on the field to expect Penn State football to shock the world. He said on the broadcast that he and his Nittany Lions (3-3, 0-3 Big Ten) have nothing to lose at this point. The performance put together in the first half was just what Smith had in mind.
The interim head coach was fired up along the sidelines when Elliot Washington II returned a blocked field goal attempt for a touchdown. Linebacker Dominic DeLuca came up with the block at the Penn State 38-yard-line where kicker Drew Stevens was going in for a 66-yard field goal attempt. If the attempt was good, Iowa's lead would be maintained. The Hawkeyes (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) were up 10-7 before the attempt. Going into the locker room, it was the Nittany Lions who headed in happy.
"It represents who we’re going to be all night," Smith said on the field before heading into the locker room at halftime in regards to the final play of the second quarter.
He said that Penn State is not going to quit, back down, or give up. There's an intensity and level of grit to the team's performance. Center Nick Dawkins said before the game that he and the rest of the Nittany Lions want this win for more than just those dressed on the field and on the sidelines on Saturday. The win means something bigger.
Penn State came right out of the gate hot with an interception by Zakee Wheatley. It stopped Iowa's opening drive short and eventually set the Nittany Lions up for the first touchdown of the game.
Though there was an offensive drought between the first drive and final special teams spark to end the half, the defense pulled out big stops in big moments. It held the Hawkeyes to just a field goal on their attempted response to Penn State's touchdown. The defense then kept Iowa off the board for the remainder of the half until quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer threw an interception that placed the Hawkeyes just in front of the end zone.
One bad play or miscall isn't derailing Penn State's night. The statement score at the end of the half proved that Smith and the Nittany Lions are there to pull off the upset and come out on top. Penn State leads 14-10 heading into the second half with momentum on its side and a fired up head coach leading. It's all gas and tons of excitement in a locker room that was dying just one week ago.