PlGSKlNpreview 16 I Friday, Oct. 1,2010 lowa serves as gauge for progress Hawkeyes once again have say in direction Lions’ season goes By Brendan Monahan COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER The images of Jeremy Boone pinning and Adrian Claybom scooping up the football and returning it for a touchdown are still seared into the minds of the Penn State faithful. The lowa defensive end stole away redemption, stifled national title hopes and continued the Hawkeyes’ string of success over the Nittany Lions on his punt block and touchdown return in last year’s showdown. lowa beat Penn State in seven of their last eight meetings, span ning the past decade, and won the last two matchups despite being the underdog. • A year later, the tables are turned. lowa has the experienced veter ans, a senior quarterback and a dominant defense. Penn State is young, with a freshman quarter back and a defense just finding its identity. The No. 17 Hawkeyes will host Daily Collegian Predictions Andrew 1. Cassavell Score: lowa 17, PSU 9 What’s good: Double teams all night quiet DE Claybom. What’s bad: The rest of lowa's D-Line is pretty good, too. What to look for: PSU’s defense is over its early season struggles. AT A CROSSROADS the No. 22 Lions in an 8 p.m. ESPN showdown at lowa City. The start of the Big Ten sched ule brings a new season of its own, and the lowa game is the Lions’ gauging meter, identifying how far Penn State has come since its last primetime game and how far the team still has to go. “lowa is a tough test on the road, just as Alabama was a tough test on the road,” right guard Stefen Wisniewski said. “So, we’ll be able to tell a lot about our team.” Already, the lowa game has BCS bond implications on the line. But for a young team still yet to reach its potential, Saturday’s game holds more than just post season implications. Only three weeks ago, Alabama exposed the inexperience of the Lions by running through the Penn State defense, shutting down its rushing attack and taking advantage of the Lions’ red zone flaws. Penn State grew up since then. Red zone struggles still plague the Lions, but the running game opened up, Rob Bolden took con trol, the defense tackled and the team came from behind against Temple last week. That was against a team that reached a bowl game last season but not one like lowa, which won the Orange Bowl and returned several big-name starters. The Lions’ second road test, in which flaws are highlighted on a primetime scale, is a chance to show they can compete with the experienced, top-tier teams. Many people have lauded the Big Ten’s depth this season, including Penn State coach Joe Patemo. But as lowa coach Kirk Fterentz points out, the season is still young. “I know everybody wants to know who is going to do what and all this stuff and how strong the league is, and who is going to win the Heisman,” Perentz said “I think we’ll all have a better idea here in about a month. There are so many things that can happen, locally, nationally.” Brendan Monahan Score: lowa 21, PSU 13 What’s good: Defensive intensity car ries over. What’s bad: lowa’s front four disrupts running game. What to look for: Whether or not new punt formation holds up. The Lions could be a surprise team, but many question marks still remain. The offensive line needs to jel again after the loss of right tackle Lou Eliades. Chima Okoli, with no offensive line expe rience before this season, stmts his first collegiate game in Eliades’ place. Bolden could also use more big game experience as well as the linebackers and the defense, who seek to roll over the momentum from last week All the questions and potential, added with the primetime atmos phere, present a sort of make-or break feel to the lowa game, one that could ensure Penn State’s continued progression or high light the flaws of previous games. “I don’t know if it’s necessarily a make-or-break game, but it’s obvi ously a huge game, kicking off the Big Ten season,” kicker Collin Wagner said “The last two years they’ve beat us, but this year is definitely a new year.” Wide receiver Derek Moye assessed the lowa game the same The Daily Collegian way. He said the matchup with the Hawkeyes isn’t make or break but a game that can be used to prove the Lions’ worth. But proving their worth will be a difficult task, especially on the road The lowa game has its story lines, but none may be as impor tant as the Lions reaching further potential on a national stage. “It’s very important especially because it’s our Big Ten opener,” Wisniewski said. “And you always want to get the Big Ten season started off on the right foot.” Or at least a quicker foot than last season, when Clayborn blocked the punt. The Lions, in a reversed role, look to play the redemption card again and put behind a decade’s worth of losing to lowa. “Whenever a team beats you two times in a row, you’re going to remember that,” defensive tackle Ollie Ogbu said. “You’re going to remember how you played and what they did to beat you.” To e-mail reporter bjmsl46@psu.edu Audrey Snyder Score: lowa 24, PSU 17 What’s good: Finally a good measur ing stick for Penn State. What’s bad: The offensive line strug gles against Clayborn. What to look for: Ricky Stanzi’s sec ond interception of the season.
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