Three weeks ago, Penn State was a consensus top-five team in the nation, with National Championship aspirations. That seems like an eon ago.
Flash forward to right now, and the Nittany Lions have lost three games in a row, including back-to-back losses to some bad Big Ten teams in UCLA and Northwestern. That led to head coach James Franklin being fired, and tons of question marks around the team. Throw in an injury to senior quarterback Drew Allar, who’s done for the year, and the Nittany Lions‘ season is in danger of completely collapsing.
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They’ll try to salvage their season this Saturday when they travel to Kinnick Stadium to take on Iowa, whose feeling good after a 37-0 drubbing of Wisconsin last weekend. The Hawkeyes are getting better each week in all three phases and look dangerous. This includes the patented Phil Parker defense, which has been elite for the majority of this season.
What does that defense need to do to win this game against Penn State? Here are the three defensive keys to victory for the Hawkeyes this weekend.
Make life different for new QB
Aug 30, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the Nevada Wolf Pack at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Nevada 46-9. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
With Allar out, Penn State will turn to redshirt freshman QB Ethan Grunkemeyer for this weekend’s game. Across his first two seasons in Happy Valley, Grunkemeyer has only attempted 13 passes, completing nine of them for 114 yards and a touchdown. And now he’s making his first career start on the road in one of the most difficult road venues in the Big Ten.
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The Hawkeye defense needs to make life difficult for the young QB. Putting pressure on him with that veteran defensive line could lead to crucial mistakes. The road environment will be a huge challenge for Grunkemeyer, and the defense needs to feed off of that. Be opportunistic, take advantage of mistakes, and put pressure on the young QB. That will be the key for Phil Parker’s unit on Saturday night.
Contain the two-headed monster at RB
Penn State freshman running backs Nicholas Singleton (10) and Kaytron Allen share a laugh together as they warm up before the 2022 Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, April 23, 2022, in State College. Hes Dr 042322 Bluewhite
Coming into the 2025 season, the Nittany Lions possessed an embarrassment of riches in the running back room, with the return of seniors Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. Those guys have lived up to the hype so far. Allen has 70 carries for 467 yards and seven rushing touchdowns, good for 6.7 yards per carry. Singleton has 70 carries for 259 yards and six rushing touchdowns, averaging 3.7 yards per carry.
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With a freshman QB making his first career start, expect Penn State to lean heavily on its running back duo to pick up yardage and move the chains. The Hawkeyes have done an excellent job against the run so far this season, surrendering only 79 yards per game on the ground. Opponents are only averaging 2.6 yards per carry against the Iowa defense. Whichever team wins the line of scrimmage will win this game.
Don’t let Devonte Ross beat you (again)
Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Devonte Ross (5) runs in for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images
Devonte Ross destroyed the Iowa defense last year when Troy came to Kinnick. He had five receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns, single-handedly keeping Troy within striking distance for most of the game. And now the Hawkeyes will face him again after he transferred to Penn State this past offseason. The 5-foot-10 senior has 16 receptions for 240 yards and three receiving touchdowns this season, and will be one of Grunkemeyer’s favorite targets.
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Expect TJ Hall, who’s been Iowa’s best corner all season, to get quite a few matchups with Ross in this one. Wide receivers like Rutgers’ Ian Strong and Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt have had some strong games against the Iowa defense this season, and Ross is more than capable of joining that list. The Hawkeyes need to make sure that Ross doesn’t burn them again.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football: Three defensive keys in Week 8 vs. Penn State
