As if enough outrageous occurrences haven't befallen the Penn State football team this year, one more was added to the list on Saturday against Iowa.

For the first time in many of the players' and coaches' careers, a game was decided in not just one, but two overtime periods.

Fullback Mike Cerimele was one of the few to experience overtime. But that was with his elementary school basketball team.

And he experienced it again Friday night in a Toftrees hotel room. Cerimele and a few of his teammates were watching a former high school football opponent in an overtime game on television.

"It's weird that we were talking about it last night and it happened the next day," Cerimele said.

But Saturday, it was kicker Ryan Primanti who felt most of the pressure in the extra periods. It was his 28-yard kick that tied in the game at 16-16 late in the fourth quarter.

And it was Primanti's 56-yard miss with no time remaining that forced the first overtime. Although it was a straight kick, the ball fell about two yards short of splitting the uprights.

Iowa won the coin toss and elected to defend the south end zone. As NCAA rules dictate, Penn State started its drive on the Iowa 25-yard line. Both teams would have a single possession starting at that position to score.

And as expected, Primanti figured into Penn State's pursuit of that all-important score.

"I was telling a couple guys on the team that it was coming down to a kick again," Primanti said. "I just knew it. I didn't know it was going to be a 57-yarder in regulation. Even in overtime, I knew it was going to come down to a kick again by our team or their team, whether it was a field goal or extra point."

Primanti's extra point kick after quarterback Rashard Casey's touchdown run gave Penn State a 23-16 lead. But the Hawkeyes' Ladell Betts ran for an 11-yard touchdown, and kicker Nate Kaeding booted the extra point to tie the score.

After Penn State won the second coin toss, they elected to defend the north end zone. Iowa managed only a 26-yard field goal after Penn State's defense stifled the Hawkeyes' ground attack.

But on Penn State's drive, Iowa stifled the Lions' pass attack with Ryan Hansen's game-ending interception.

"The way we lost definitely made it difficult," defensive end Justin Kurpeikis said. "Everyone was looking around like, 'Don't we get another series or something?' "

As Iowa celebrated with a small knot of fans in the northeast corner, Penn State players walked in a daze into the tunnel. With heads down and stunned expressions, they left with a bitter overtime experience.

"They're kind of fun to be involved in," coach Joe Paterno said. "They're more fun, obviously, if you win them. I think they add a little something to the game."

They also add something to the list of the season's strange phenomenon in Happy Valley.