Saturday's NCAAF Game of the Day: Penn State at Iowa
Penn State Nittany Lions at Iowa Hawkeyes (+12.5, 52)
No. 4 Penn State faces a major test in its first road game of the season when it visits fellow unbeaten Iowa on Saturday night in the Big Ten opener for both teams. The Nittany Lions steamrolled through their first three opponents at home by a combined score of 141-14, and their bevy of offensive stars shined brightly in last week's rout of Georgia State.
Trace McSorley threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns while running back Saquon Barkley amassed 226 total yards - including a career-high 142 through the air - and the defense pitched its second shutout. Barkley is averaging 8.1 yards per carry, 21.9 per catch and 26.8 per kickoff return, presenting the Hawkeyes with a unique challenge that has coach Kirk Ferentz scrambling for superlatives.
"I'm trying to think of the last time we played a back like this," Ferentz told reporters. "I'm thinking of the backs I've seen in my time in the conference. ... He just does so many things well. He's a powerful, strong, fast athlete. He's a really good football player. Run, pass, you name it, he's a threat. He's just a really impressive football player."
The Hawkeyes also have a workhorse at running back in Akrum Wadley (60 carries, second in the Big Ten) and Nathan Stanley's 10 TD passes are first in the league, one ahead of McSorley.
LINE HISTORY: The line has bounced around between Penn State -12 and -13. The total is hanging around between 52 and 52.5.
INJURY REPORT:
Iowa – RB Akrum Wadley (Probable, Leg), RB James Butler (Elbow, Out 3-4 weeks).
Penn State – OL Brendan Mahon (Undisclosed, Probable), DE Torrence Brown (Knee, Probable), CB Amani Oruwariye (Undisclosed, Probable).
WEATHER REPORT: Sunny with almost no chance of rain. Game-time temperature expected to be 89 F with winds blowing at 7.8 mph.
PENN STATE (3-0 SU, 2-0-1 ATS, 1-2 O/U): McSorley is 10th in the country in passing efficiency (184.1), has increased his completion percentage (67.1) nearly 10 points from last season, is gaining six yards a carry and now has even more support in the form of versatile backup Tommy Stevens, who has passing, running and receiving scores through the first three games. "What's nice about [Stevens] is he can play like a receiver, he can play like a running back, he can play like a quarterback, and we've used him in almost all of those ways," coach James Franklin told reporters. "I don't think there's any doubt that it creates stress on a defense." Franklin also has to be pleased with the emergence of big-play receiver Saeed Blacknall, who was held without a catch in the first two games but had 64 receiving yards and a score against Georgia State.
IOWA (3-0 SU, 1-2 ATS, 1-2 O/U): Since throwing an interception on the Hawkeyes' second drive of the season, Stanley has thrown his 10 TDs without a pick and is completing 61.4 percent of his passes. Wadley, who had 234 yards through the first two games before sitting out much of last week's 31-14 win over North Texas with an ankle injury, has been practicing and is expected to play Saturday. Iowa ranks 12th among Big Ten teams with 3.8 yards a rush, a troubling trend given the fact that it was outgained 359-30 on the ground in last year's 41-14 loss at Penn State.
TRENDS:
*Penn State is 8-0-1 ATS in its last nine conference games and 12-2-2 ATS in its last 16 games overall.
*The Under is 5-1 in Iowa's last six home games.
CONSENSUS: The favored Nittany Lions are getting 52 percent of the support in the consensus while 53 percent of players like the game to go Over the total at 52.5.
Penn State Nittany Lions at Iowa Hawkeyes (+12.5, 52)
No. 4 Penn State faces a major test in its first road game of the season when it visits fellow unbeaten Iowa on Saturday night in the Big Ten opener for both teams. The Nittany Lions steamrolled through their first three opponents at home by a combined score of 141-14, and their bevy of offensive stars shined brightly in last week's rout of Georgia State.
Trace McSorley threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns while running back Saquon Barkley amassed 226 total yards - including a career-high 142 through the air - and the defense pitched its second shutout. Barkley is averaging 8.1 yards per carry, 21.9 per catch and 26.8 per kickoff return, presenting the Hawkeyes with a unique challenge that has coach Kirk Ferentz scrambling for superlatives.
"I'm trying to think of the last time we played a back like this," Ferentz told reporters. "I'm thinking of the backs I've seen in my time in the conference. ... He just does so many things well. He's a powerful, strong, fast athlete. He's a really good football player. Run, pass, you name it, he's a threat. He's just a really impressive football player."
The Hawkeyes also have a workhorse at running back in Akrum Wadley (60 carries, second in the Big Ten) and Nathan Stanley's 10 TD passes are first in the league, one ahead of McSorley.
LINE HISTORY: The line has bounced around between Penn State -12 and -13. The total is hanging around between 52 and 52.5.
INJURY REPORT:
Iowa – RB Akrum Wadley (Probable, Leg), RB James Butler (Elbow, Out 3-4 weeks).
Penn State – OL Brendan Mahon (Undisclosed, Probable), DE Torrence Brown (Knee, Probable), CB Amani Oruwariye (Undisclosed, Probable).
WEATHER REPORT: Sunny with almost no chance of rain. Game-time temperature expected to be 89 F with winds blowing at 7.8 mph.
PENN STATE (3-0 SU, 2-0-1 ATS, 1-2 O/U): McSorley is 10th in the country in passing efficiency (184.1), has increased his completion percentage (67.1) nearly 10 points from last season, is gaining six yards a carry and now has even more support in the form of versatile backup Tommy Stevens, who has passing, running and receiving scores through the first three games. "What's nice about [Stevens] is he can play like a receiver, he can play like a running back, he can play like a quarterback, and we've used him in almost all of those ways," coach James Franklin told reporters. "I don't think there's any doubt that it creates stress on a defense." Franklin also has to be pleased with the emergence of big-play receiver Saeed Blacknall, who was held without a catch in the first two games but had 64 receiving yards and a score against Georgia State.
IOWA (3-0 SU, 1-2 ATS, 1-2 O/U): Since throwing an interception on the Hawkeyes' second drive of the season, Stanley has thrown his 10 TDs without a pick and is completing 61.4 percent of his passes. Wadley, who had 234 yards through the first two games before sitting out much of last week's 31-14 win over North Texas with an ankle injury, has been practicing and is expected to play Saturday. Iowa ranks 12th among Big Ten teams with 3.8 yards a rush, a troubling trend given the fact that it was outgained 359-30 on the ground in last year's 41-14 loss at Penn State.
TRENDS:
*Penn State is 8-0-1 ATS in its last nine conference games and 12-2-2 ATS in its last 16 games overall.
*The Under is 5-1 in Iowa's last six home games.
CONSENSUS: The favored Nittany Lions are getting 52 percent of the support in the consensus while 53 percent of players like the game to go Over the total at 52.5.