Kirk Ferentz pleased with No. 3 Iowa football, appreciates fan energy in a 23-20 win over No. 4 Penn State.
No. 3 Iowa takes on No. 4 Penn State in a Big Ten matchup.
In a battle between the Big Ten east and west, two unbeaten, 5-0 teams will face off.
The Nittany Lions are trying to avenge last year’s errors, which resulted in a 41-21 win for Iowa.
The Hawkeyes are attempting to improve to 6-0 at home.
And that is just what Iowa accomplished on Saturday.
The Hawkeyes fought back from a 3-0 deficit in the fourth quarter to grab the lead from Penn State for the first time since their first score.
With fewer than seven minutes left in the game, Spencer Petras threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Nico Ragaini, putting Iowa up 23-20.
The Hawkeyes defence was too much for sophomore Ta’Quan Roberson to overcome with Penn State dragging along with a backup quarterback.
Penn State’s similarly powerful defence tried their best, but the offence did virtually nothing to take advantage of those opportunities.
Postgame: Ferentz on the final touchdown and Iowa turning it around in the second half
“They made it very difficult for us…but you have to stand up and do something at some point.
It was a fantastic play call and execution.
In the second half, there were a million small things going on that weren’t as spectacular,
which was nice to watch. I’m really happy with how the players reacted.”
“And I thought it was very remarkable that we could be that far behind and yet keep our foot on the pedal.
They make an excellent team. We’ve always held them in high regard.
Continue to do so. If you’re not cautious, they’re a group that can make things happen fast. So, once again, I’m overjoyed.”
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Postgame: Ferentz on the defensive efforts against Penn State
“Defensively, there were a lot of excellent attempts all over the place.
On fourth down, Hankins comes to a complete stop just in front of our bench. We may shift him to linebacker as a joke.
That was an excellent tackle in which he effectively halted the opponent.
That is very difficult to do. It’s all really symbolic. On top of that, I’ve got a choice.”
Postgame: Ferentz on the team’s confidence in Petras
“Even if he was a bit rough a year ago, we had faith in him.
We get to know the athletes on a daily basis, and teammates learn to know one other as well. As a result, people are aware of his level of commitment.”
Postgame: Ferentz on Ragaini’s late touchdown
“It was just done flawlessly. That wasn’t an easy throw, and Spencer did a fantastic job, and Nico has been a rock for us.”
Postgame: Ferentz on the fans
“Our fans did an outstanding job. They were into the game. We expected them to be ready to leave right away. They were more prepared than we were,
and all we needed to do was make sure our squad knew that they couldn’t play the game for us.
Postgame: Ferentz on the win
Kirk Ferentz stated, “I’m pleased for our squad.” “It was a fantastic victory for us,
and our players put in a lot of effort to get it. I’m simply very proud of our group.
We knew it was going to be a difficult game going in. I had a feeling it would be.
Penn State has a lot of skill and athleticism.
They’ve been playing fantastic football lately. So, I’m simply ecstatic.
We got off to a slow and sluggish start. Our team simply continued working and pushed forward.”
Postgame: Big wins are meaningful for recruiting
In front of scores of high-level prospects, Iowa pulled off the comeback victory.
If you’ve ever wondered why gameday visits are important, here is the explanation.
Postgame: Ragaini on the win
When asked how it felt to defeat Penn State, Nico Ragaini replied, “You don’t get moments like this every day.
” It was both emotionally and physically exhausting…
We worked hard for it, and we are deserving of it.
Postgame: Hankins on the fans reaction
When it came to supporters rushing the field, Matt Hankins stated, “I certainly rank Ohio State the best my rookie year.” “It’s always thrilling when supporters rush,
but after the first time, I’m just trying to get off the field as soon as possible.”
Postgame: Petras on the field storming
When it came to supporters rushing the field, Matt Hankins stated,
“I certainly rank Ohio State the best my rookie year.” “It’s always thrilling when supporters rush,
but after the first time, I’m just trying to get off the field as soon as possible.”
FINAL: Iowa 23, Penn State 20
Iowa improves to 6-0 on the season with a win against No. 4 Penn State.
Iowa took advantage of the injured starting quarterback for the Nittany Lions and mounted their fourth QB comeback, completed by Raga.
3:39 of the fourth quarter:
Iowa stops PSU on fourth and three.
To keep their scoring chances alive, Penn State needed to convert, and Iowa’s defence was not going to allow them. At the 45-yard line, the Hawkeyes take over.
6:26/Q4: Hawkeyes take the lead – Iowa 23,
Penn State 20 Petras threw a 44-yard touchdown throw to Nico Ragaini, and Iowa leads by a field goal late in the fourth quarter with the point after.
Iowa takes over at the 44-yard line at 6:35 in the fourth quarter.
The Hawkeye defence is trying all it can to get the ball back to Petras and the offence as soon as possible. It’s working, as Jordan Stout of Penn State is forced to kick in the endzone. Iowa is inside 50 yards of the goal line, with plenty of time to make plays.
Penn State’s defence gets in the way at 8:08 in the fourth quarter – Penn State 20, Iowa 16.
After Johnson’s spectacular catch, Iowa had an opportunity to tie the game. Penn State’s defence, on the other hand, came up big against Iowa, preserving the Nittany Lions’ four-point advantage for a bit longer.
Iowa is in the red zone at 10:21 in the fourth quarter.
Petras took advantage of his favourable field position by throwing a 42-yard touchdown pass to Keagan Johnson. At the 8-yard line, he was tackled.
11:58/Q4: Iowa’s special teams save the day Iowa may have punted again,
but that doesn’t mean they’re handing Penn State an excellent field position. Tory Taylor just fired a 53-yard punt that was chased down by Ivory Kelly-Martin, putting the Nittany Lions on the 2-yard line.
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