UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 4/4 Penn State goes on the road to take on No. 3/3 Iowa on Saturday in Kinnick Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET on FOX. The 2021 season is presented by PSECU.
SERIES HISTORY: The Nittany Lions will meet Iowa for the 31st matchup. Penn State holds a 17-13 advantage in the series. Three of the last four meetings have been decided by one-score. Penn State had a six-game win streak in the series from 2011-19, but fell 41-21 in last year's matchup at Beaver Stadium.
TOP FIVE MATCHUP: Saturday's game will be the 11th game in program history with both teams ranked among the Top Five of the AP Poll and the Nittany Lions' first since 1999, when No. 3 Penn State earned a 41-7 win over No. 4 Arizona. It's also Penn State's first Top Five matchup against a Big Ten opponent since 1997 vs. Michigan (No. 2 Penn State vs. No. 4 Michigan).
NATION'S BEST SCORING DEFENSES MEET: The Penn State-Iowa matchup will feature two of the top three scoring defenses in the nation. The Nittany Lions rank third in the country, allowing 12.0 points per game. Iowa sits second in the country, giving up 11.6 points per game.
PITCHING A SHUTOUT: The Nittany Lions held Indiana scoreless last Saturday. It marked Penn State's sixth shutout since 2014 and its fourth against a Big Ten opponent. Penn State handed Indiana its first shutout loss in 246 games (2000 vs. Michigan). The blue and white earned its first shutout against a Big Ten opponent since 2019 at Maryland and its first home Big Ten shutout since 2015 vs. Illinois.
STRONG IN THE RED ZONE: Penn State ranks second in the nation and leads the Big Ten allowing a 53.3 conversion rate in the red zone. Penn State held Indiana without a score in both of the Hoosiers' trips into the red zone. In the first quarter, the Nittany Lions stopped Indiana on fourth-and-one from the Penn State 4 yard-line. In the third quarter, Penn State blocked a 30-yard field goal attempt. Opponents have been held without a score in 7-of-15 trips into the red zone this season.
THE OPPOSITION: Iowa is 5-0 this season and coming off a 51-14 win over Maryland last Friday. Spencer Petras threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns. The Hawkeyes held the Terrapins to 271 yards and forced seven takeaways, including six interceptions.
IOWA SCOUTING REPORT
- Kirk Ferentz is in his 23rd season as head football coach and 32nd season overall at Iowa.
- Ferentz is the longest-tenured head football coach in the nation and the winningest coach in Iowa history.
- Ferentz holds a 173-106 record at Iowa and has led Iowa to a winning record in each of the last eight seasons.
- Iowa has a 5-0 record to start the 2021 season.
- The Hawkeyes earned a 51-14 win at Maryland last Friday.
- QB Spencer Petras threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns.
- The Iowa defense forced seven takeaways, including six interceptions. The Hawkeyes scored 17 points off of turnovers.
- Petras has completed 62 percent of his passes for 943 yards and seven touchdowns.
- RB Tyler Goodson has rushed for 430 yards, averaging 86.0 yards per game, and five touchdowns.
- TE Sam LaPorta leads Iowa receivers with 22 catches for 263 yards and two touchdowns.
- The Iowa defense is allowing 271.4 total yards per game, including just 87.0 on the ground.
- The Hawkeyes have forced 16 turnovers, including 12 interceptions.
- LB Jack Campbell leads Iowa with 46 tackles.
- DL Jack VanValkenburg paces the Hawkeyes with five tackles for loss, while DL Luke Van Ness has recorded a team-best four sacks.
- DB Riley Moss has three interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns.
- K Caleb Shudak has converted eight-of-nine field goal attempts.
TOP 5 MATCHUPS
- Penn State is 4-6 all-time in matchups where both teams are ranked in the Top 5 of the AP Poll.
- The Nittany Lions have played in six more matchups in bowl games and Penn State is 2-3-1 in those games.
- Penn State is 17-54-1 all-time against Top 5 teams, including a 15-49 record in regular season matchups.
- When ranked among the Top 5, Penn State has an all-time record of 101-22-1.
INDIANA NOTES
- The Nittany Lions improved to 19-10 in Big Ten home openers.
- Penn State recorded its first shutout both overall and in a Big Ten game since a 59-0 win over Maryland in 2019.
- Penn State handed Indiana its first shutout since a 2000 loss to Michigan (58-0), a span of 246 games.
- Penn State scored on a 9-play, 96-yard drive in the second quarter. It is Penn State's longest drive, by yards, this season.
- With two touchdowns in the game, QB Sean Clifford and WR Jahan Dotson connected for the 18th time on TD scores, passing Todd Blackledge and Kenny Jackson (1980-82) for the most by a Penn State QB-WR duo in program history.
- With a stop on fourth-and-goal in the first quarter and a blocked field goal in the third quarter, the Nittany Lions have held their opponent without a score for seven times in 15 red-zone possessions.
- The Nittany Lions blocked a 30-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter. It was Penn State's second blocked field goal of the season. It marks the first time Penn State has blocked two or more field goals in a season since 2004 (five blocked field goals).
OFFENSIVE NOTES
- Sean Clifford has connected with Jahan Dotson for 18 passing touchdowns in their careers.
- With two Clifford-to-Dotson touchdowns against Indiana, the duo passed Todd Blackledge and Kenny Jackson (17; 1980-82) for the most by a Penn State QB-WR duo.
- Clifford and Dotson are tied for the most passing touchdowns of any current FBS duo with Iowa State's Brock Purdy-Charlie Kolar (18).
- In 2021, Dotson (35 rec, 446 yards, 6 TD) and Parker Washington (25, 331, 2) are the only receiver duo with at least 25 receptions and 330 receiving yards among Power Five teams and one of three FBS duos, joining Fresno State's Jalen Cropper (44, 528, 9) and Josh Kelly (29, 461, 2) and UTSA's Zahkari Franklin (29, 397, 4) and Joshua Cephus (34, 374, 2).
- Penn State sits 19th in the country in passing efficiency (162.17) and 26th in passing offense (286.0).
- Dating back to the second half at Wisconsin, Penn State has scored in 18 consecutive quarters.
- Against Indiana, Penn State scored on a 9-play, 96-yard drive in the second quarter. It is Penn State's longest drive, by yards, this season. The 96-yard drive is Penn State's longest drive, by yards, since a 98-yard drive against Maryland in 2020.
- Dotson completed a 21-yard pass to Washington in the fourth quarter. Dotson has completed 2-of-2 passing attempts this season. The other was a 22-yard pass to TE Tyler Warren against Auburn.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
- The Nittany Lions are allowing just 12.0 points per game in 2021, ranking third in the country and second in the Big Ten.
- Penn State is allowing opponents only a 53.3 conversion rate in the red zone this season, ranking second in the country and leading the Big Ten.
- In 15 opponent red zone trips, Penn State has held opposing teams without a touchdown on seven possessions.
- Against Indiana, Penn State stopped the Hoosiers on both of their red zone trips, including an interception and a blocked field goal.
- Penn State did not allow a passing touchdown through the first 147 passing attempts faced this season, the most in the FBS.
- Since 2000, 147 is the most passing attempts Penn State has faced without allowing a passing touchdown to start a season.
- Penn State has forced nine takeaways this season, including seven interceptions.
- Penn State ranks 10th in the country with seven interceptions.
- The Nittany Lions have at least seven interceptions through the first five games of a season for the sixth time since 2000 and the second time in the James Franklin era, joining the 2017 team.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
- Redshirt senior Jordan Stout has served as Penn State's kicker, for both field goals and extra points, punter and kickoff specialist in all five games this season.
- Stout, San Diego State's Matt Araiza, Texas' Cameron Dicker and UConn's Joe McFadden are the only FBS players handling kickoff, field goal and punt duties for their team this season.
- Among the four, Stout leads the group in touchbacks (28), kickoffs returned (0) and punts inside the 20 (10).
- Stout is second among the four in opponent drive start average (24.8 yard-line), net punting average (45.1) and 50+ yard punts (11).
- Led by Stout, Penn State ranks fourth in the country in net punting (45.12).
- Stout is seventh in the country, and third in the Big Ten, with a 48.5 punt average.
- Stout averaged at least 50.0 yards per punt in the first three games this season.
- Eleven of Stout's 24 punts this season have been 50 or more yards.
- Stout has landed 10 punts inside the 20, including four vs. Villanova and four vs. Indiana, six inside the 10 and two inside the 5.
- Stout's 93.3 touchback percentage is the highest in the FBS among kickers with 30 or more kickoffs. Stout has yet to allow a kickoff return this season.
- Led by Stout, Penn State has only had one opponent drive start in Penn State territory this season.
- Penn State's opponents have an average starting field position this year of 24.8 (yard line), good for eighth in the country.
- Stout was named Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week following the Indiana game. It marks his second time earning the award this season. He also won it after his performance at Wisconsin.
- Against Indiana, Stout averaged 46.3 yards on six punts. He hit 51 and 50 yard punts and landed four inside the 20, including one inside the 10.
- Stout also hit a 50-yard field goal. It was his fourth career 50+ yard field goal.
- Stout sits second all-time at Penn State in 50-yard field goals, behind only Chris Bahr (6; 1973-75).