No. 3 Iowa 23, No. 4 Penn State football 20: Here’s what happened and what we thought
CDT staff reports
No. 4 Penn State is taking on No. 3 Iowa in the Nittany Lions; first top-5 matchup since 1999 on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.
Follow reporters Jon Sauber and Kyle J. Andrews for updates and analysis throughout the game, and visual journalist Abby Drey for scenes from on the field.
Penn State fell 23-20 to Iowa after losing starting quarterback Sean Clifford near the end of the first quarter, falling to 5-1 on the season.
Here’s what happened:
No update on Sean Clifford’s status following the game.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 10, 2021
Penn State football falls 23-20 on the road to Iowa after losing starting QB Sean Clifford near the end of the first quarter. https://t.co/bT8htR17Xs
— Centre Daily Times (@centredaily) October 9, 2021
Multiple receivers were open across the middle of the field. Offensive line collapsed into Roberson very early and he couldn't find them.
— Kyle J. Andrews (@KyleJAndrews_) October 9, 2021
Nico Ragaini runs the backside wheel and Petras finds him wide open for a 44-yard touchdown. The Hawkeyes now lead, 23-20.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Not a great punt from Stout and Iowa will have a chance to take the lead with a drive that starts at the Penn State 44.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Daequan Hardy with two enormous plays to bump Iowa back and force Shudak to kick a field goal. He hits the 35-yarder to make it 20-16.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Penn State needs to tighten up in close again. A stop here would be huge.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Another good drive by the Penn State defense, but another perfect punt by Iowa will give the ball to the Nittany Lions at the one.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Penn State leads 20-13 at the end of three quarters.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
A.J. Lytton might be the best special teams gunner in the country.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Not a great throw by Roberson, but probably a second ball that Brenton Strange dropped that he should've caught. Pass still needs to be better from the redshirt sophomore quarterback, though.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Iowa K Caleb Shudak makes the field goal from 48 yards out to make it a 20-13 game.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Penn State RB John Lovett is in a T-shirt and sweats on the sideline.
— Elton Hayes (@EHDC12) October 9, 2021
Clifford out, Roberson in. pic.twitter.com/POvFPov2Wc
— Abby Drey (@ADreyPhotos) October 9, 2021
Arnold Ebiketie is injured and, you guessed it, Iowa fans are booing.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
PJ Mustipher is on the sideline with crutches.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Stout hits from 44 yards out to make it a two-possession game. Nittany Lions lead 20-10. Nice job of getting points with Roberson at quarterback against a really good defense.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Spencer Petras is limping after that hit.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Sean Clifford is on the sideline wearing a t-shirt and no shoulder pads.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Penn State leads 17-10 at the half. First half was full of turnovers and Penn State injuries pic.twitter.com/21T6Wg6KkV
— Abby Drey (@ADreyPhotos) October 9, 2021
The first half was a disaster for Penn State with injuries and turnovers. Yet, the Nittany Lions lead 17-10.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Roberson's deep shot is picked off by Moss. Three picks for the Iowa defense today. Throw was deep enough but needed to lead Dotson to the open side of the field more.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Brisker blew up that screen to stop the drive. Iowa punt will put Roberson and Penn State inside the 10 to start the drive.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Sutherland looked dazed after that hit. He's coming off the field, after Iowa boos, of course.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
The Penn State defense has been great so far. It has to be even better now.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
This is going downhill rapidly for Penn State. Three false starts in a row after a botched snap and a near-interception. Stout will have to punt from his own end zone.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
And bobbles his first snap of the game.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Iowa scores on a long drive to make it 17-10. Looks like Roberson will begin the drive at quarterback.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Ta'Quan Roberson is warming up on the sideline.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Sean Clifford to the locker room.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Ellies goes into the injury tent.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
PSU QB Sean Clifford is going into the injury tent.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) October 9, 2021
Iowa fans booing yet another injury. Dvon Ellies is down on the field.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Stout hits from 32 yards out to make it a 17-3 lead for Penn State. Iowa is not built to come back, so it'll be interesting to see how much the Hawkeyes stray from their gameplan down 14.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Penn State's sideline gets in on the wave pic.twitter.com/JivVFqYPnk
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) October 9, 2021
The waving to the Children’s Hospital at Iowa home games is the best tradition in sports.
— Peter Burns (@PeterBurnsESPN) October 9, 2021
Amazing every time.
Penn State up 14-3 after the first quarter. A bad quarter when it comes to turnovers, yet the Nittany Lions have generally controlled the game.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Brisker is back in. Iowa fans are booing.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Brisker is down. Looked like his shoulder again. He was down several times against Wisconsin with shoulder issues.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Penn State has turned the ball over twice. It hasn't mattered. Nittany Lions up 14-0 after Clifford runs it in on what looked like a designed draw.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Great play design by Mike Yurcich there to put Riley Moss in conflict for Iowa. Had to go with Dotson in the middle of the field or Lambert-Smith on the back side of the play. Chose Dotson, and Lambert-Smith gets the big gain.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
KeAndre Lambert-Smith is down after making the catch.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
And Jaquan Brisker gets it right back on a tipped pass. Penn State back in business with only three points given up on two interceptions.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Second interception of the day for Iowa. Clifford floated the deep ball to Jahan Dotson in the middle of the field. Looked like he could've had Dotson if he threw it to the corner.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Penn State's defense is everywhere right now. Really impressive outside of one good Tyler Goodson run on Iowa's first drive.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Noah Cain caps off the 75-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. Clifford looked much better after the interception on the first drive. The line gave him plenty of time to work through his progressions and find the open receivers.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Arnold Ebiketie gets the sack and Penn State holds Iowa to a field goal on a drive that started at the 8-yard line.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Sean Clifford throws an interception on his first throw of the game. An inexcusable mistake in your own endzone.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Mustipher walked off the field with some assistance. He would be a big loss if he can't come back into this one, especially against a team like Iowa.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Jordan Stout boots it into the endzone and we're underway.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Views from today’s office.
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
No. 4 Penn State is less than a half hour from kicking off against No. 3 Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. pic.twitter.com/2M0qmJfHd0
With a cast on his right wrist linebacker Ellis Brooks pumps up his teammates. Almost time for kickoff here in Iowa City pic.twitter.com/COMLUyWOpp
— Abby Drey (@ADreyPhotos) October 9, 2021
— Abby Drey (@ADreyPhotos) October 9, 2021
Should not be an issue, fwiw. Expect him to play.
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) October 9, 2021
Per @ChadLeistikow, today’s Penn State-Iowa referee is John O’Neill.
— Greg Pickel (@GregPickel) October 9, 2021
The latest episode of The Lions' Lair where @KyleJAndrews_ and I discuss the game:https://t.co/DKAuewpuDv
— Jon Sauber (@JonSauber) October 9, 2021
Kyle and I's key matchups heading into the game:https://t.co/2kvke6Vi6L
The three questions that will determine the outcome of the game:https://t.co/Q0gNJrk2BI
This story was originally published October 9, 2021 at 3:48 PM.