Penn State 31, Iowa 0: Breakdown of a Beatdown

Penn State's defense batters Iowa, and quarterback Drew Allar throws 4 TD passes in a big win.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. | Penn State's defense rolled out a masterpiece against Iowa, suffocating the Hawkeyes into two miserable quarters, forcing four turnovers (all fumbles) and running off the starting quarterback in a 31-0 victory at Beaver Stadium. Quarterback Drew Allar threw four touchdown passes, three to tight ends, as No. 7 Penn State improved to 4-0 with a dominant victory.

A White Out crowd of 110,830, the second-largest in Beaver Stadium history, sat through increasingly wet conditions as Penn State's defense grew increasingly hostile to the Hawkeyes. Iowa didn't produce its third first down of the game until late in the fourth quarter against the Lions' reserve defenders. And after an 18-yard scramble in the first quarter, Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara did not produce another first down before being replaced in the fourth quarter.

What else happened in the rout? The breakdown from Beaver Stadium.

The Turning Point

Laboring offensively against stacked fronts and delayed blitzes in the first half, Penn State ran another pithy red-zone play to get into the end zone. Last week, it was an option-pass touchdown from third-string running back Trey Potts to Tyler Warren. On Saturday, it was a 4th-and-1 pass to No. 3 tight end Khalil Dinkins for his first reception of the season.

Allar lasered a gem to Dinkins, who converted his size advantage in single coverage into a 9-yard touchdown reception. It was a crafty play from offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, who called for quarterback sneaks on previous 4th-and-short conversions. The Lions initially showed their T formation with two tight ends in the backfield, flexed out of it and quietly placed Dinkins in the slot. Without a catch this season, Dinkins didn't land on Iowa's radar until it was too late. The score gave Penn State a 10-0 lead.

The drive that crushed Iowa

The Hawkeyes' offense, most certainly not built for comebacks, faced an insurmountable 17-point deficit on its first touch of the third quarter. That's because Allar led a surgical 15-play, 75-yard scoring drive, capping it with a smooth 2-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Warren. Allar deftly rolled right and saw Warren cleared out completely across the left side. He planted, turned and floated an easy touchdown pass to Warren, giving the Lions a 17-0 lead. It was the first of two scoring connections between Allar and Warren.

Penn State's dominant middle quarters

Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz isn't saving his job with quarters like the second and third, during which the Lions' defense bullied his group. Iowa had four 3-and-out possessions, minus-12 yards of total offense, minus-18 yards rushing, two turnover and no third-down conversions. Iowa ran four (!) offensive plays in the third quarter and held the ball for 1:34. The last of those produced a sack-fumble, which led to a Penn State field goal. 

The defensive ends rise up

Penn State edge rushers Adisa Isaac, Chop Robinson and Dani Dennis-Sutton have been waiting for a quarterback like McNamara to give them another half-second of pocket time. The trio teed off on McNamara, recording three sacks, four hurries and a turnover. They also depressurized McNamara's pocket, shortening his reflex time and giving him little room to throw.

Drew Allar's impressive night

Efficient once more, Allar also made some high-level touchdown throws. He threw two beautiful completions to Khalil Dinkins and Tyler Warren and floated a lovely fade ball to KeAndre Lambert-Smith. Of Allar's four touchdown passes, three came on third or fourth down. He went 25 for 37 for 166 yards and stretched his streak of passing attempts without an interception to 185.

Streaks continue

Penn State ran its win streak to nine consecutive games dating to last season. The Lions have held every opponent to 21 points or less in that stretch. Penn State also has scored 30+ points in 11 consecutive games, the nation's longest such run. Further, the Lions improved to 10-0 over the past two seasons when forcing multiple turnovers.

Up Next

Penn State visits Northwestern on Sept. 30 in Evanston, Ill. The game is scheduled for a noon ET kickoff on Big Ten Network.

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