Three Takeaways from Iowa's First Half vs. Penn State

After the scoreboard read 7-3 at the end of the first quarter, the Iowa Hawkeyes went into the locker room down at halftime 14-10.

Entering the matchup, the Hawkeyes had a lot of eyes on them; this is the first game for the Nittany Lions after the expensive firing of head coach James Franklin. Iowa's defense was initially thought to limit big plays and dominate time of possession in what is an undoubtedly distracting time for Penn State.

Penn State was also previously undergoing some inexperience at the quarterback position with Ethan Grunkemeyer getting himself ready for his first career start.

Here's three takeaways from Iowa's first half after going into the locker room with a 14-10 deficit following a last-second blocked field goal for a score by Penn State.

Oct 18, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) prepares to throw a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

3. Penn State Leads with Redshirt Freshman QB

Despite Grunkemeyer only being in the midst of his first career start, and on the road no less, the redshirt freshman QB still led his team into the locker room up by four points.

Throughout the first half, he completed seven passes on 14 attempts for 45 yards while also throwing two interceptions.

2. Poor Passing Game for the Hawkeyes

To say the Hawkeyes showcased a poor pass-heavy offense throughout the first half would be a massive understatement, unfortunately for Iowa fans.

Iowa only tallied 41 receiving yards throughout the first two quarters across six receptions. Veteran wide receiver/return specialist Kaden Wetjen posted just one 12-yard reception.

Though, a rushing touchdown with just over one minute left to play in the second quarter from signal caller Mark Gronowski did show the offensive strength from head coach Kirk Ferentz and co. Gronowski was set up with a key ground play from Xavier Williams to put him within the five-yard mark.

1. Interim Head Coach Terry Smith Shines

Penn State interim coach Terry Smith previously said Week 8 of the college football season was going to be difficult for the program.

"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 canceled practice Sunday following the news of Franklin's firing, but under Smith's playcalling against the Hawkeyes — nobody could tell.

Penn State finished the half with 45 passing yards and 53 from the ground game.

Iowa fans can only hope the Hawkeyes pick up speed in the second half. A win over the Hawkeyes would put more national attention on the program, while a win for Penn State would show they have officially moved on from the Franklin era in a positive direction.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!