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Jason Cabinda's fourth- down stuff of a Beathard sneak proved that point early in the game, abruptly ending the Hawkeyes' first possession and setting exactly the right tone. In allowing only 234 yards to the visi- tors, with a mere 30 coming via the ground game, the Nittany Lions showed they weren't just defensively sound. They physically dictated the game. They were so comfortable and dominant in the first three quarters that they appar- ently lost interest by the time the Hawkeyes reduced their 41-7 deficit with an 81-yard touchdown drive mid- way through the fourth quarter. "I knew we would go out and execute. And the D-line, they played their butts off. They were living in the backfield today. They were so disruptive. They kept the offensive line off the lineback- ers, and we were able to make plays," Cabinda said. "It's as simple as that. It was our goal. Stopping the run was the No. 1 thing we knew we had to do this week and we were able to go out there and accomplish that." Meanwhile, Penn State's offensive line did what its Iowa counterpart failed to do. Allowing just one sack on the evening – a jailbreak missed assignment to open up a blindside shot for Matt Nelson on quarterback Trace McSorley – Penn State's line again displayed its development both in pass protection and in springing Saquon Barkley. Although the sophomore running back has routinely demonstrated his ability to turn the mundane into the spectacular, the improvements of his offensive line through the course of consecutive victo- ries over Minnesota, Maryland, Ohio State, Purdue and Iowa were a signifi- cant reason why. The line handled its business against even the Buckeyes' vaunted defensive front, quickly trans- forming itself from a liability two years ago into a true asset today, one that con- tinued to perform well even after in- juries began to test its depth. "Our offensive line right now, we're real physical up front. We just played a real physical Iowa team that takes pride in being tough and physical, and you saw what we did to them," left guard Ryan Bates said. "They were a good team and all, but we came to play. "I feel like this offensive line has come a long way from all of the criticism we had gotten in the past. We're basically just showing up and shutting everybody up. We know what we can do. We had to show people what we can do, so we're doing that right now." Franklin echoed the sentiment follow- ing Penn State's victory over the Hawkeyes. Referencing comments he had made prior to the game, he said that players and coaches had "talked about how physical this game was going to be up front, and we proved that we can match up with people and we're making tremendous progress. Sean Spencer with the D-line and Coach [Matt] Limegrover with the O-line – really proud of those guys." The performance recalled another eu- reka moment nearly a decade earlier, one that could offer a glimpse of possibilities for the program moving forward. Open- ing the 2008 season ranked No. 22, the Nittany Lions won their first six games before traveling to Wisconsin in mid-Oc- tober for a night game at Camp Randall Stadium. The circumstances were slightly different from those that it faced heading into this year's game against Iowa, but the outcome was similarly de- cisive, as Penn State thrashed the Badg- ers, 48-7. That game changed the perception of the Lions' potential and identity, and in that respect it was similar to the recent game against the Hawkeyes. The mentality isn't limited to Penn State's defense or the offensive line, ei- ther. From Barkley's punishing runs to the blocking of the wideouts, the entire team has adopted an aggressive mindset. Even Tommy Stevens, the team's backup quarterback, ran with bruising purpose against Iowa. The development process may be far from complete, but the tran- sition of the Lions' identity from hesi- tant to aggressive is undeniable. And while that doesn't necessarily guarantee more wins as the season winds down, the dividends are likely to continue benefit- ting the team as it moves forward. ■

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