Let it not be said that Kirk Ferentz doesn't have a sense of humor.

One could forgive Iowa's coach if he were getting a little grumpy about answering questions about his running back situation after losing the top three on the depth chart for the season to injury and a fourth is also banged up.

But despite having to turn to fifth-stringer Sam Brownlee -- he of three career rushes coming into the season -- and sixth-string true freshman Damian Sims, at least Ferentz handles the situation with grace.

It turns out there isn't a set of instructions for handling injuries to four of your backs.

"What was that next man in? Any man in? Whoever is left standing man in?" Feretnz joked about the plight of his backfield. "We are going to use both [Brownlee and Sims]. I don't think we have a set formula yet, but they will both play in the ball game and I expect both will do a good job."

Iowa lost Marcus Schnoor and Albert Young to season-ending knee injuries in the first two weeks, then starter Jermelle Lewis also went down for the year with an ACL injury in the Hawkeyes' fifth game. Marques Simmons was plugged in and promptly sprained an ankle against Ohio State and is questionable for tomorrow's game.

A trip to Beaver Stadium isn't much of a cure for this run game.

Despite recent injuries to linebackers Paul Posluszny and Tim Shaw, the Nittany Lions defense has been unforgiving to opposing run games at Beaver Stadium this year and is a far cry from the sieve it was last season.

So logic would say the Hawkeyes will stick with their adapted game plan against the Lions.

Drew Tate, Drew Tate and some more Drew Tate.

"Yeah, I think it's an advantage for us," Posluszny said of the Hawkeyes' new pass first mentality. "I don't think it's your typical Iowa team anymore, where it's run-run-run. But they're playing good football right now."

Iowa's sophomore quarterback has taken the team on his rather diminutive shoulders as he revived his team with two straight wins, including last week's 33-7 woodshed beating of Ohio State.

Though standing at just 6-foot and weighing 185 pounds, Tate gave a tough Buckeyes defense fits last week, going 26-for-39 while throwing for 331 yards, three touchdowns through the air and running in a fourth himself.

"He's a young quarterback, but he's great out of the pocket and throwing the ball on the run," Penn State safety Calvin Lowry said. "It's gonna be a challenge for us and we need to keep him contained and in the pocket to have a chance."

Still -- a pass-first Iowa team? Even when the Hawkeyes had athletic Heisman Trophy runner-up Brad Banks behind center the last time they came to town, they still ran the ball an astounding 49 times.

But this time, Fred Russell won't be taking handoffs.

Though this week's Iowa squad may be one the most one-dimensional the Lions will face in the Big Ten this season, the defense must still adjust to the mobility and improvisational skills of Tate. Earlier this season Penn State was hurt by a similarly slippery quarterback in Boston College's Paul Peterson, particularly on big third down plays.

Penn State and coach Joe Paterno are giving Ferentz and his coaching staff their well-deserved credit. When necessity called for it, the Hawkeyes were able to completely overhaul their offensive mindset and not just compete, but succeed.

"I think it is to Kirk Ferentz and his staff's credit that they have adapted well," Paterno said. "The quarterback has come to the front; there again, they have changed their offense a little bit and do not seem to be quite as dependent on the running game as they used to be.

"You are not looking at a team who can't play. They are tough kids who run hard and know what they are doing. Their running game may not be quite as good as they would like it when they had their other kids, but it is good enough to kill you."