By DAN LEWERENZ, Associated Press Writer
October 23, 2004
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Iowa had so much confidence in its defense, the
Hawkeyes gave Penn State two points.
The 25th-ranked Hawkeyes held Penn State's offense scoreless, making Kyle
Schlicher's two first-half field goals stand up for a 6-4 victory on Saturday.
Iowa handed the Nittany Lions their final points, conceding a safety instead
of punting from its own end zone late in the fourth quarter. The strategy
worked perfectly when the Hawkeyes intercepted Penn State for the fourth time.
``It was a pretty obvious decision,'' Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said.
``Typically, if you punt off your own 1-yard line, it's almost a guaranteed
three for the other team. And this type of game, I sure as heck didn't want to
give them three easy ones. Just take the safety and ride our defense.''
The Hawkeyes (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) went up 3-2 when Schlicher kicked a
27-yarder late in the first quarter to cap a 15-play drive. Sean Considine
intercepted a pass by Zack Mills in the second quarter and returned it 53 yards
to set up Schlicher's second field goal, also a 27-yarder, that made it 6-2
going into halftime.
``I knew that two field goals wasn't going to be enough,'' Schlicher said.
``I was actually surprised that it was.''
Iowa had just three first downs in the second half, all of them late in the
fourth quarter, and one was the result of a Penn State penalty.
But despite the Hawkeyes' offensive shortcomings, Penn State's offense was
even worse. Twice in the second half, the Nittany Lions (2-5, 0-4) had a first
down inside the Iowa 10, but failed to score -- Robbie Gould missed 25-yard
field goal wide left in the third quarter, and Antwan Allen intercepted a pass
by Michael Robinson pass on the 1 in the fourth.
``I don't know whether we could play much poorer than we did today,'' Penn
State coach Joe Paterno said. ``I mean, I think Iowa's a pretty good defensive
football team, but we just didn't play very well at all offensively.''
That interception set up Penn State's final score, a safety that Iowa
planned to give away. The Hawkeyes were also called for holding on the play
that made it 6-4.
The defense came through for the Hawkeyes. Jovon Johnson intercepted
Robinson on Penn State's next play from scrimmage.
``I was waiting for him to throw it all game,'' Johnson said. ``They line up
in a formation that you recognize from film, and you just get an early jump on
it. I knew what the play was.''
Robinson fumbled away the Nittany Lions' last opportunity, a fitting end to
an awful day for Penn State.
Earlier this week, Ferentz left the team to attend his father's funeral in
Pittsburgh. John Ferentz died at 84 after a long illness.
``I told the team on Tuesday, I wish they'd gotten to know my dad, you
know,'' Ferentz said. ``Unfortunately because of his health, his last time out
was 2000. But they'd have loved the guy. He was a heck of a guy.''
Iowa hadn't won a game scoring so few points since a 6-0 victory over
Northwestern in 1957.
It was Penn State's lowest scoring game since being shut out 20-0 by
Michigan in 2001.
The Nittany Lions took 2-0 lead on the first possession -- Penn State's first
lead in a Big Ten game this season -- when the snap went over punter David
Bradley's head and into the end zone. Bradley kicked the ball out the back of
the end zone to score the safety.
Updated on Saturday, Oct 23, 2004 5:01 pm, EDT
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