Iowa Secures Tight Win Over Penn State

After initially being on the outside looking in to Penn State's coaching drama, the Iowa Hawkeyes stepped knee deep into the chaos by hosting the Nittany Lions for a Week 8 matchup.

Iowa (then 4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) entered the matchup on the heels of defeating Wisconsin by a score of 37-0 in the Hawkeyes' first shutout of the Badgers since 1996.

On the other hand, Penn State entered Kinnick Stadium with a lot to prove. The Nittany Lions were on the complete other end, coming off losing three straight and with interim head coach Terry Smith at the helm following the expensive termination of head coach James Franklin.

Following an exciting contest throughout all four quarters that saw Iowa up by only one point with just over 1:30 remaining, the Hawkeyes managed to hold on and secure a 25-24 victory.

This occurred while Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer was in the midst of his first career start.

Iowa QB Mark Gronowski plowed a touchdown in from one yard out towards the end of the second quarter, giving him a rushing touchdown in every game played so far this season. He was largely set up by a big play from Xavier Nwankpa.

Made a play 😤@xaviernwankpa01 x #Hawkeyes

pic.twitter.com/HLw7hbq4jD
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) October 19, 2025

Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz said postgame that the win was a tribute to an excellent performance from his QB.

"They just kept playing. They don't quit ... [this team has a] lot of character, lot of leaders, the guys don't quit," Ferentz said postgame. "[Gronowski] is just a winner ... I'm glad he's on our team."

Oct 18, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz looks on during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Hawkeyes concluded the contest with 313 total yards compared to Penn State's 266. Iowa had 245 yards on the ground compared to 68 passing yards.

Running back Kaytron Allen led the game offensively with 131 yards across 24 carries to go alongside two touchdowns.

Smith of the Nittany Lions went into Week 8 of the college football year knowing play with going to be difficult for his team.

"Obviously, this is a challenging week," Smith said. "The guys are responding somewhat. We still have some work to do. They're all hurt and torn, disappointed in what happened. Coach brought everyone in the building in. These are young people, they're not used to people. We as adults, we have to adjust quicker We're just taking the time to mentor these guys, and spend some quality time with to get them interested and motivated back out here."

The Nittany Lions only averaged 3.6 yards per play, while the Hawkeyes averaged 6.4.

And while Penn State did hold its own, at the end of the day Smith was correct. Iowa now improves to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play.

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