Though the two games were different in many ways, Saturday's overtime thriller between the Penn State and Iowa football teams made many of its participants harken back to Iowa's overtime win in the 2000 matchup.

"Once they started scoring on us and things started getting down, I started thinking about the game when I was here my junior year, the double overtime game," Hawkeyes cornerback Jovon Johnson said. "I was just hoping things wouldn't go that way this week, and when it did I was like, man, déjà vu, but we came out strong in overtime and did what we had to do."

Junior year?

Johnson, a true freshman, was not on the field for that game. It was his junior year of high school at Mercyhurst Prep. The Erie native, one of three on the Hawkeyes roster, including wide receiver Ed Hinkel and safety Bob Sanders, made the trip to State College to watch that game from the stands. Neither he nor Sanders was recruited out of high school, and the Lions went after Hinkel late. All three have burned the Lions.

When Johnson came to that game in 2000, he was already the captain of his football team, and was on his way to earning honorable mention all-state honors as a quarterback and defensive back.

The season before, he had been named conference Defensive Player of the Year. That season, he would eventually be named Offensive Player of the Year. He would also be named All-Conference in his senior year. However, the Nittany Lions were not among his suitors when recruting time came.

However, on Saturday he got his chance to shine at Beaver Stadium wearing a different uniform.

In the third quarter, the second-string cornerback stepped in front of a pass from Lions quarterback Zack Mills, picked it off and dashed for paydirt. He was knocked out of bounds just short of the goal line by Lions tackle Matt Schmitt.

It gave the Hawkeyes a chance to put the game away, though they failed when tailback Fred Russell fumbled the ball on the next play. Nevertheless, the Hawkeyes still outlasted the Lions and Johnson got to enjoy victory at the home team's expense.

"It means a lot to me and (Sanders) because it's our home state," Johnson said. "We're playing against a team that didn't recruit us. After that it gives you a fire in your eyes that makes you want to win the game."

Sanders, an Erie Cathedral Prep grad, had more of an impact on last season's game with 11 tackles and a sack, but last year's All-Big Ten selection made sure the Lions knew he was around with six stops. Now a junior, Sanders has yet to lose to the Lions in three games.

Hinkel, who was dangerous everywhere he lined up in high school, reminded the Lions why they recruited him. He made a brilliant diving catch on a 22-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brad Banks in the second quarter. In the fourth quarter, he returned a punt 54 yards to the Penn State 12-yard line.

"It means a lot to come back here and play good," Hinkel said. "It's a game I circled on our schedule. I wanted to come out here and play well, and I wanted to win the game. Luckily we came out on top."

Because of those three players, Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz, a Pittsburgh native, is happy he can still recruit in his home state.

"All three guys did a great job today," he said. "Certainly Ed came up with a big play, Jovon came up with a big pick there that unfortunately we couldn't capitalize on and Bob has been a guy that has helped set the tempo for our program for three years now, so I'm just so proud of all three and happy that they're with us."