Penn State football interim head coach Terry Smith took over the leadership role in the wake of James Franklin's firing. In the midst of chaos that ensued the Sunday after losing to Northwestern, the Nittany Lions cannot forget that by the end of the week, there's another game to be played.
For Penn State, it's a big one too. It heads to Iowa after a three-game losing streak and zero Big Ten victories. For Smith, his message to the team is clear in order to get the players back on track and ready to play.
Penn State at Iowa: How to watch, odds, injuries, weather, announcers, and series history
"My message to all of them is: you signed up to play football," Smith said. "We love the game of football and let's keep the main thing the main thing. You only own opportunity through production on the field. And if you're not productive on the field, it doesn't matter where you go, want to sit out, who wants you next? You're not going to make the money you think you're supposed to. You're not going to be drafted where you think you're supposed to be drafted. So my message is: we have an opportunity to come together, win the season, shock the world, and we all can have success together."
Terry Smith pulled no punches in press conference Monday.
— Andrew Kalista (@KalistaAndrew) October 15, 2025
Smith lays out the situation for players who may think it's their time to pack it in this season.#PennState #pennstatefootball #PSU #jamesfranklin
Full Pod episode here with @MikeGrossGRP @YDRPennState… pic.twitter.com/iNFNsNA1IT
Franklin lost the locker room before Week 7, but the loss to the Wildcats was the final straw. Smith intends to turn that around and his energy already made an impact on the players.
"I just love the way [head] coach Smith is going about this whole process and just getting behind him, the whole team behind him to coaches, players," third-year captain and linebacker Dominic DeLuca said. "Everyone is behind him, and just be able to live up to the standard of Penn State. He lives that and we're proud to have him."
Saturday is the first chance for Smith to prove he has the Nittany Lions under control at least for the next six games. Though the task ahead of him, including the following two games after facing the Hawkeyes, is not an easy one, he has confidence in Penn State and it has confidence in him too. The 2025 season isn't over, it's only halfway through.
Kickoff against Iowa is set for 7 p.m. ET on Oct. 18. The game can be watched and streamed on Peacock with a subscription.