Behind Enemy Lines Penn State vs Iowa Edition

As we are getting ready for Kickoff on Saturday, Penn State heads on the road looking to end their three-game losing streak as they take on Iowa. For this week’s Behind Enemy Lines, we spoke to Ethan Petrik, who covers Iowa for Quad-City Times.

1. Your Initial thoughts on Penn State vs Iowa
Ethan: From an outside perspective, this game became incredibly more winnable for the Hawkeyes over the last three weeks ago. It feels like a game where Iowa can really prove itself to be a second tier Big Ten team after a really shaky first two games.

2. Who on Offense should Penn State be concerned about?
Ethan: Kamari Moulton. The redshirt sophomore running back continues to impress after returning from an injury which held him out for the entire non-conference schedule. He’s Iowa’s most complete running back. A reliable running game can do wonders for a team when its starting quarterback is not at 100% (e.g. Iowa’s 2023 & 2024 seasons). Honorable Mention: WR Sam Phillips – the Chattanooga transfer is the closest thing Iowa has to a deep threat and he’s Gronowski’s favorite target downfield.

3. Does this game have a different feel now that James Franklin is not the Head Coach at Penn State
Ethan: Absolutely. This already felt like a winnable game for the Hawkeyes based purely on the results from the last three weeks. However, once you consider Franklin’s firing, the added instability at Penn State makes this feel like almost a must-win game for Iowa. The Nittany Lions’ talent is undeniable, but everything before kickoff has broken the Hawkeyes’ way.

4. For those who don’t follow Iowa, what makes this matchup very interesting
Ethan: Penn State wide receiver Devonte Ross torched Iowa last year at Troy. He went off for 142 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions and added a 77-yard punt return touchdown. He certainly has Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz’s attention.

“Our goal this year is to get a hand on him,” Ferentz said. “I swear to God, I’ve never seen that in a game. It’s almost impossible to do, but we witnessed it, so it’s not impossible. It’s unbelievable.”

Also, Ferentz grew up a Nittany Lion fan in western Pennsylvania.

5. What is one reason why Iowa beats Penn State
Ethan: The atmosphere in Kinnick Stadium. It feels like Iowa can forge a couple different paths to a win, but getting this game at home was always a huge boost to the Hawkeyes’ chances at a win. They have only lost multiple games in Kinnick once in the last five seasons and they have sold out this matchup. It’s not an environment conducive to the success of any opponent — let alone one reeling from a mid-season coaching change and a season-ending injury to the starting quarterback.

You can check out Ethan’s Work at @ethan_petrik

Kickoff on Saturday for Penn State at Iowa is at 7:15 PM on Peacock with Paul Burmeister, Michael Robinson & Caroline Pineda on the call