GAME BREAKDOWN
KEY MATCHUP: Iowa’s defensive front stymied Maryland last week in a 23-0 victory and would benefit from a similar effort against Penn State’s inconsistent offensive line on Saturday in the Big Ten road game. The Hawkeyes held the Terrapins to seven first downs, 68 yards rushing and 155 total yards — for the game — and dominated time of possession, 40:55-19:05. Iowa is tied for second nationally in rushing defense (79.6 yards per game), third in total defense (258.1 yards per game) and fifth in scoring defense (14.1 points per game). And with 22 sacks, Iowa ranks fourth in the Big Ten.
Pressure from up front will be an element to watch as the Hawkeyes attempt to contain Penn State QB Trace McSorley, who rushed for 107 yards last week in a win at Indiana and 175 yards on a loss to Ohio State. No Penn State quarterback has rushed for 1,000 yards in a season, but McSorley is more than halfway there with 554 yards on 98 carries. He helps Penn State’s offensive line with his ability to run and poses a challenge for defenses as a multiple threat.
DRAFT SLANT
–TE Noah Fant is half of Iowa’s two-headed monster at tight end. The third-year junior and fellow TE T.J. Hockenson will put pressure on Penn State this week. Fant has a nose for the end zone with six scoring catches this season, which leads the team, and is tied for the most by a tight end nationally. Fant leads the Hawkeyes with 26 catches. His numbers likely would be even more impressive without the presence of Hockenson, who has 25 receptions. The 6-foot-4, 214-pound Fant is ranked the No. 2 tight end by NFLDraftScout.com for 2020.
ROSTER REPORT:
–LB Jack Hockaday returned to practice and is expected to play Saturday at Penn State. It’s likely he won’t return to a starting role right away. He suffered a knee injury at Minnesota and missed the last two games.
–CB Matt Hankins is not expected to return for Saturday’s game against Penn State. He’s considered questionable with a wrist injury. The starting cornerback has missed the past three games. “He’s not 100 percent,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said.
–FB Nick Niemann returned last week against Maryland and contributed two solo tackles after sitting out the previous two games with a leg injury.
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