So, was this an impressive defensive effort? Or was this just a really horrible Iowa offense?
Well, maybe it was both.
Whatever the answer, the Penn State defense can reclaim a swagger after halting the Iowa offense in Saturday's win. Thanks to a particularly strong push from its defensive line, Penn State (4-2, 1-2 Big Ten) limited the Iowa offensive attack to a mere drip in the first half, holding the Hawkeyes to 53 yards of total offense. Iowa spread out the offense more in the second half but was still held to less than 200 total yards.
A little bit of that confidence may have been bruised when Illinois stampeded for 216 rushing yards and Michigan's Mike Hart had 153 yards in back-to-back weeks against the Nittany Lions.
"This game I think we needed to get our confidence back up to see where we're at and kinda build off from this win," Penn State linebacker Dan Connor said.
For the Lions, the emphasis this week was coming on strong from the outset because of the first-half struggles they endured against the Fighting Illini.
"We talked about all week about starting from the first play," Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said. "We talked all week about getting back to fundamentals and getting back to good, solid, fundamental defense."
That was made easier, of course, because Iowa ranked 92nd nationally in total offense heading into the game. With a porous offensive line and a young quarterback, the Hawkeyes have struggled to move the ball effectively this season.
But Penn State did get a solid push from its defensive line, which rotates seven or eight men, and guarded carefully against Iowa's propensity to run the draw with running back Albert Young.
Shifty and stout, Young could be difficult to defend against because of his size and relative power. But he was limited to only 44 yards on 13 carries.
It was 6-foot-1 sophomore quarterback Jack Christensen who broke through late in the game. He scrambled for positive yards when the pocket collapsed and was able to fire a few strikes downfield in the waning moments. He was sacked five times, however, which limited his net rushing yards to only 2 yards.
"This game gave us a real great amount of confidence," Penn State defensive end Maurice Evans said.
"It felt good to win coming off two losing weeks. That was the main thing, getting back on track."
Defensive ends Evans and Aaron Maybin each had two sacks. Connor also had a sack. All the pressure up front meant Penn State didn't need to blitz much with its linebackers.
"We've really fed off our D-line," said Penn State linebacker Sean Lee, who led the Lions with 11 tackles.
"Today, we fed off them again. When they played well, it seems like the whole defense plays well."
NOTES: LB Navarro Bowman is day to day after suffering a high right ankle sprain against Illinois, Bradley said. Josh Hull played in his place and rotated with Tyrell Sales. ... LB Dontey Brown will be out two to three weeks with a left elbow injury, Bradley said.
