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KEY MATCHUPS P E N N   S T A T E   V S .   I O W A | B Y P H I L G R O S Z W H E N P E N N S T A T E H A S T H E B A L L PENN STATE RUNNING GAME 187.0 YPG, 6.8 YPC // IOWA RUN DEFENSE97.0 YPG, 4.0 YPC THE LOWDOWNPenn State enters its game against Iowa with one of the more interesting rushing attacks in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions rank eighth in rushing yards per game but are second in yards per carry and are tied for third with eight rushing touchdowns. Saquon Barkley is Penn State's leading rusher with 307 yards on 38 carries (8.1 yards per carry) and three rushing TDs. Trace McSorley is the Lions' second-leading rusher with 137 yards on 23 carries (6.0 ypc) and two TDs. Iowa is sixth in the Big Ten in rushing defense. The heart and soul of the Hawkeyes' defense is its three-man linebacker corps, which is comprised entirely of seniors: MLB Josey Jewell, weakside OLB Bo Bower and strongside OLB Ben Niemann. Jewell leads Iowa with 26 tackles, and he also has 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Nie- mann is next with 21 tackles and 1.5 TFL, and Bower is third with 18 stops. Despite having some experience in its front seven, Iowa had difficulty getting penetration into the backfield in nonconference games against Wyoming, Iowa State and North Texas. The Hawkeyes posted only 13 tackles for loss in their first three games, with four of those stops cour- tesy of DE Parker Hesse. // KEY MATCHUP Penn State guards Brendan Mahon and Steven Gonzalez will battle Jewel and Niemann. Mahon didn't play last week vs. Georgia State but is listed first at right guard on this week's depth chart. Elsewhere, LT Ryan Bates will be looking to keep Hesse out of the backfield. If Penn State can control Iowa's linebackers at the point of attack, Barkley and McSorley should have success running the ball. // EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME 282.0 YPG, 14.8 YPC // IOWA PASS DEFENSE 238.0 YPG, 10.8 YPC THE LOWDOWN Penn State is fourth in the Big Ten in passing yards per game and is tied for the conference lead with 10 touchdown passes. McSorley has completed 51 of 76 passes (67.1 percent), with nine TDs and two interceptions, and he has a pass efficiency rating of 184.1 – the best of his Penn State career to date. Neither of Penn State's leading receivers are wideouts, as TE Mike Gesicki is first with 12 catches for 123 yards, while Barkley is second with 11 for 241. DaeSean Hamilton needs only 10 more receptions to become Penn State's career leader. So far this season, he has nine catches for 163 yards, while Juwan Johnson has seven for 105 yards. Iowa ranks seventh in the Big Ten in pass defense. CB Joshua Jackson leads the Hawkeyes with two interceptions and has six of their 14 pass breakups. Hesse and fellow de- fensive lineman Brady Reiff have Iowa's two other interceptions. The Hawkeyes have struggled to get pressure on op- ponents' QBs. Through three games, they have only five sacks. Jewel leads the team with two sacks, followed by DE A.J. Epenesa with 1.5. // KEY MATCHUP Gesicki will do battle with SS Miles Taylor, while Niemann will likely be tasked with covering Barkley coming out of the backfield. Iowa almost always plays zone pass defense with two safeties over the top. It's a scheme that makes Niemann a very important factor, particularly this week. // EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME VS. IOWA PASS DEFENSE IOWA RUNNING GAME 180.0 YPG, 3.8 YPC // PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE126.0 YPG, 3.0 YPC THE LOWDOWN The key to Iowa's offense is its running game. The Hawkeyes have a highly regarded offensive line that utilizes a zone-based blocking scheme. But, surprisingly, they are only ranked eighth in the Big Ten in rushing. RB Akrum Wadley is Iowa's leading rusher with 258 yards on 60 carries and one TD, while backup James Butler, a Ne- vada transfer, is second with 158 yards on 36 carries. Wadley and Butler both suffered injuries last week against North Texas and weren't able to finish the game. It appears as though Wadley will get the start vs. Penn State, but Butler isn't expected to see action. That means freshmen Toren Young and Ivory Kelly-Martin will be spelling Wadley. Both looked good vs. North Texas. Penn State has the ninth-ranked rushing defense in the Big Ten. FS Marcus Allen is the Lions' leading tackler with 18 stops, while MLB Jason Cabinda and Will OLB Manny Bowen are tied for second with 15 apiece. // KEY MATCHUP Iowa guards Sean Welsh and Keegan Render will face defensive tackles Parker Cothren and Curtis Cothran, while tight ends Noah Fant and Peter Pekar will go up against Allen and OLB Koa Farmer. The Hawkeyes' favorite running play is the zone stretch, which uses two tight ends to block either the free safety and an outside linebacker or both OLBs. Allen, Bowen and OLB Koa Farmer will have to be ready. // EDGE Even IOWA RUNNING GAME VS. PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE IOWA PASSING GAME VS. PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE W H E N I O W A H A S T H E B A L L PENN STATE RUNNING GAME VS. IOWA RUN DEFENSE S E P T E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 4 IOWA PASSING GAME 218.3 YPG, 12.8 YPC // PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE147.7 YPG, 7.9 YPC THE LOWDOWNComing into the season, Iowa's passing game was a big question mark, as sophomore QB Nate Stan- ley (6-5, 235) had only thrown nine passes last year playing behind C.J. Beathard. But the Hawkeyes performed bet- ter than expected during the nonconference season and enter their Big Ten opener with the league's eighth-ranked passing offense. Stanley has completed 51 of 83 attempts (61.5 percent) for 655 yards, with 10 TD passes and only one interception. Iowa's leading receiver is WR Nick Eisley with 16 catches for 162 yards and two TDs. In addition,

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