TEAM
- Penn State is now 18-15 all-time against Iowa.
- The Nittany Lions are 10-7 in road matchups against the Hawkeyes.
- Terry M. Smith coached his first game as Penn State Interim Head Coach.
- QB Ethan Grunkemeyer made his first career start. He is the 10th Nittany Lion to make their first collegiate start and one of 14 Nittany Lions to make their first Penn State start this season.
- LB LaVar Arrington II made his collegiate debut. He is one of 22 Nittany Lions to make their collegiate debut this year and one of 13 true freshmen to play.
STREAKS
- Penn State has not allowed a special teams touchdown in 84-straight games, dating back to the start of the 2019 season.
OFFENSE
- QB Ethan Grunkemeyer completed 15 passes for 93 yards.
- He posted career highs in completions (15), attempts (28) and passing yards (93).
- His previous highs were 7-of-9 for 86 yards vs. Nevada.
- RB Kaytron Allen rushed for a career-high 145 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries.
- Allen’s 145 rushing yards topped his previous high of 144 yards against FIU.
- It was his first career game with 100+ rushing yards and multiple rushing touchdowns.
- Allen’s 28 rushing attempts were a career high. His previous high was 21 carries on four occasions, last against UCLA in 2024.
- Allen found the endzone on a 1-yard rushing score on fourth down to give the Nittany Lions a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. He added an 8-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter.
- The senior owns nine rushing touchdowns this season and 33 in his career.
- Allen has a rushing touchdown in all seven games this season. He is the first Nittany Lion to have a rushing score in 7-straight games since Saquon Barkley did so in 2016-17 (9-straight).
- The senior tallied his sixth career game with multiple rushing touchdowns and his second this season (at UCLA, at Iowa).
- The Florida native collected his 10th career 100-yard rushing game.
- He had a 30-yard rush in the third quarter.
- Allen now has 3,489 career rushing yards. On the day, he moved into third all-time at Penn State, passing Curt Warner (3,398; 1979-82).
- Allen now owns 657 career rushing attempts, good for third all-time at Penn State. On Saturday, Allen moved past Matt Suhey (633; 1976-79), Curt Warner (649; 1979-82) and Tony Hunt (654; 2003-06).
- With 37 career total touchdowns, Allen moved into fifth all-time at Penn State, passing Larry Johnson (36; 1999-2002).
- With 152 all-purpose yards on Saturday, Allen now has 3,985 for his career. He moved into 11th all-time at Penn State, passing O.J. McDuffie (3,865; 1988-92), D.J. Dozier (3,895; 1983-86) and Lydell Mitchell (3,904; 1969-71).
DEFENSE
Team
- Penn State S Zakee Wheatley picked off a pass in the first quarter. Penn State has nine takeaways this season (five interceptions, four fumbles).
- Since 2022, Penn State has forced 85 takeaways (51 interceptions, 34 fumbles).
- The Nittany Lions limited the Hawkeyes to 68 passing yards. Since 2014, Penn State has held an opponent under 100 passing yards on 25 occasions and under 200 passing yards on 87 occasions.
- Penn State held Iowa to 11 first downs. The Nittany Lions matched their season low for first downs allowed (11 against Villanova) and posted its lowest first downs allowed total since November 24, 2023 against Michigan State (5).
- S Zakee Wheatley picked off a pass on Iowa’s opening drive of the game. It was his sixth career interception.
- Wheatley now has a hand in 11 career takeaways (6 INT, 2 FF, 3 FR).
- He recorded eight tackles in the first half and finished the game with 10 stops (9 solo).
- Wheatley posted his fifth career game with 10+ tackles.
- DE Yvan Kemajou recorded a solo tackle for loss in the second quarter. He has two career tackles for loss.
- CB Audavion Collins secured a solo tackle for loss in the fourth quarter. He owns four career tackles for loss.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Team
- In the second quarter, Xavier Gilliam blocked a field goal, which was returned 35 yards for a touchdown by Elliot Washington II. It was Penn State’s first blocked field goal returned for a touchdown since Grant Haley (60 yards) against Ohio State in 2016.
- It was Penn State’s first blocked field goal since Arnold Ebiketie against Indiana in 2021.
- Penn State has scored 11 special teams since 2017 (4 KR, 6 PR, 1 FG).
- The Nittany Lions have blocked four kicks this season (1 field goal, 3 punts).
- K Ryan Barker converted a 32-yard kick in the fourth quarter and all three extra-point attempts.
- Barker is now 26-of-30 on career field goal attempts and 74-of-75 on career extra-point attempts.
- P Gabriel Nwosu averaged 43.7 yards on three punts.
- KR Corey Smith had a 22-yard kick return.in the fourth quarter.
- DT Xavier Gilliam blocked a field goal in the second quarter. It was PSU’s first blocked field goal since Arnold Ebiketie against Indiana in 2021.
- CB Elliot Washington II returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the second quarter. It was Penn State’s first blocked field goal returned for a touchdown since Grant Haley against Ohio State in 2016.