Opponent Preview: Penn State sets annual White Out game for Iowa

Penn State is just two weeks out from the start of the 2023 season. Expectations are as high as they’ve ever been under head coach James Franklin, as the Nittany Lions will start the year at No. 7 overall in both major polls. Between the excitement surrounding Drew Allar and a host of future NFL players, there’s no shortage of storylines to follow.

However, it won’t be easy for Penn State, as the Nittany Lions have quality teams scheduled in each month of the calendar. After previewing West Virginia and Illinois over the weekend, we switch our focus to this year’s White Out opponent, Iowa.

Quick Facts

All-Time Series: Penn State leads 17-14
Last Meeting: Capitalizing on the absence of injured quarterback Sean Clifford, Iowa rallied for a 23-20 win over visiting Penn State on Oct. 9, 2021
Head Coach: Kirk Ferentz (186-115 in 24 seasons at Iowa; career coaching record: 198-136)
2022 Record: 8-5, 5-4 Big Ten
Returning Starters: 14 (7 offense, 5 defense, 2 specialists)

Returning Leaders

Rushing: RB Kaleb Johnson (779 yards, 6 TD)
Passing: QB Spencer Petras (1,725 yards, 5 TD)
Receiving: TE Luke Lachey (398 yards, 4 TD)
Tackles: CB Cooper DeJean (75)
Sacks: DE Deontae Craig, DE Joe Evans (6.5)
Interceptions: CB Cooper DeJean (5)

What Could Go Right

There’s (hopefully) nowhere to go but up after a season in which Iowa managed to throw just seven touchdown passes. If Cade McNamara can elevate the offense from dismal to merely mediocre, it could be enough to vault the Hawkeyes into West Division title contention.

What Could Go Wrong

Iowa doesn’t have Michigan’s talent, and McNamara could struggle just as veteran Spencer Petras did a year ago, putting pressure on a defense that lost Butkus Award-winning middle linebacker Jack Campbell to the NFL.

Summary

Skim Iowa’s offensive statistics, and you’ll come away wondering how it managed to win any games last season, much less eight.

The Hawkeyes finished 123rd in the FBS in both scoring offense (17.7 points per game) and passing offense (156.7 yards per game), 124th in rushing offense (94.9 YPG) and 129th in third-down conversion rate (27.8 percent). Only one other team in the country — New Mexico — averaged fewer yards per game than Iowa’s 251.6.

As is their custom, however, the Hawkeyes counterbalanced a lethargic offense with a fierce defense. They gave up only 13.31 points per game, the second-lowest average in the country, and that heroic performance earned them a spot in the Music City Bowl, in which they shut out Kentucky 21-0.

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The blueprint for success isn’t likely to change in Kirk Ferentz’s 25th season with the program. Ferentz, the longest-tenured active FBS coach by six years, is pretty much an open book at this point. The Hawkeyes will lean on a defense that often ranks among the best in the country at producing turnovers, while hoping to coax sufficient productivity out of their own running game and hitting a few play-action passes along the way.

In hope of improving their offense, they brought in transfer quarterback Cade McNamara, who two years ago helped lead Michigan to a Big Ten title and the College Football Playoff. McNamara should be an instant upgrade. He completed 64.2 percent of his attempts for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2021 before losing his battle with J.J. McCarthy last year for the Wolverines’ starting job.

The Hawkeyes have seven starters back on offense, including all five linemen. They also boast a promising sophomore tailback in Kaleb Johnson, who rushed for 779 yards and six touchdowns a year ago. And, as usual, Iowa has a blue-chip tight end, with Luke Lachey back after catching 28 passes for 398 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2022. Wide receiver Nico Ragaini also returns after catching a team-high 34 passes for 386 yards and 1 TD in 2022.

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The Hawkeyes have also brought back embattled offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, albeit with an amended contract that lowers his base salary and lays out a series of “performance objectives” that include an incentive for averaging 25 points per game and another for earning a bowl invitation.

Iowa returns a number of playmakers on defense, including cornerback Cooper DeJean, who returned three of his five interceptions for touchdowns last season, and defensive ends Deontae Craig and Joe Evans, who combined for 13 sacks.

A year ago, the Hawkeyes lost three games by a touchdown or less. If they’re able to meet the first of Brian Ferentz’s performance objectives this fall, they shouldn’t have any difficulty meeting the second.