Penn State Phryday Preview

Yinzers,

Well it's finally here-Big Ten play. If you have been following for the past four weeks, you'll know why I am uneasy about this weekend. The Nittany Lions are 3-1 through non-conference play, but have not played particularly well. To close-out the non-conference schedule, Temple came to town last weekend and proved that they are growing as a program. Penn State converted 0 of their red zone chances into touchdowns the first three quarters, instead settling for five field goals. Temple actually had the lead for nearly all of the first half, scoring 13 points in the half. Penn State went ahead 15-13 on their fifth, touchdown-less scoring drive. So do you see why I'm uneasy about this weekend when the Nittany Lions travel to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes?

Iowa comes into this weekend with a 3-1 record of their own. Their only loss coming two weeks ago against a rejuvenated Arizona Wildcat program under Mike Stoops. That loss dropped Iowa from #9 to #17 in the coach's poll (which is used before the BCS poll comes out). We will use that particular game as a marker for which Hawkeye team is going to show up this weekend, considering their other games were against Eastern Illinois who hasn't had anyone good since Tony Romo (who isn't any good anyway), Iowa State and Ball State. Against the Wildcats, Iowa came out flat in the first half, which is where most of the damage was done, giving up 27 points. The Iowa defense stepped up in the second half, allowing only 7 points, but it was too little, too late. Nick Foles blistered the Iowa secondary for 303 yards and 2 TDs while spreading the ball around to nearly 10 different receivers. Iowa did put up 27 points in their own right, however. Ricky "I've been here for 10 years" Stanzi threw for 3 tallies and 278 yards. Since Shonne Green's departure for the NFL two years ago, he has been their primary offense. It then becomes a good matchup for the Hawkeye offense taking on the Penn State secondary. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos is his primary target and will most likely end up in the NFL. If Iowa is to be successful on offense, they will take shots at the Penn State zone coverage. On defense, the Iowa front 7 are not nearly as stout as they were last year. They will need to dig deep against the Penn State rushing game and force Robert Bolden to make plays through the air.

As for Penn State this week...man up, it's time for real football. Iowa has had Penn State's number during the years of Ricky Stanzi. Two years in a row (2008 and 2009) have the Hawkeyes ruined Penn State's march to a national championship. Granted, a lot of that came from Penn State losing the games and not Iowa winning the games, but that is beside the point. I don't know what it is, but Iowa always brings their A-game against the Nittany Lions and the Nittany Lions respond with mediocrity. It's about time to put the Hawkeyes in their place. Evan Royster is finally off the schneid with 187 yards last week against Temple. His renewed confidence will be a key factor for the rest of the season. If Penn State wants to be successful in Iowa City, they will have to feed the beast and let the big dog eat. It is imperative that Evan Royster have a good day against the Hawkeyes. This takes pressure off of young Robert Bolden and keeps everybody at ease. Another running-related topic: GET THE BALL TO MIKE ZORDICH IN SHORT YARDAGE SITUATIONS. Zordich had 3 carries for 11 yards last week...all of which were to pick up first-downs. The kid is a beast, give him the ball when you need 2 or 3 for sure. On the defensive side of the ball, Penn State needs to keep playing stout. They are 8th in the NCAA in points against and need to keep that number low if they want to win games. This weekend will be all about keeping Ricky Stanzi in check. If they can force Iowa to run the ball, success is in their future.

The game is at 8:00 pm on ESPN. Iowa is favored by 7 points in this game and the over/under is 41. Let's prove some people wrong this weekend. I always hate playing Iowa because their jerseys look like the Steelers...it's confusing and heart-breaking.

For the Glory,
B Brog