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No. 24 Penn State found itself in unfamiliar territory against Purdue last week. With 14 minutes to go, James Franklin had a decision to make. With his team up by 24 points, he wondered if the time was right to put his youngest players in the game.
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"I thought that was significant," Franklin said after Penn State's 62-24 win. "To have that type of game where you're able to get some guys experience, especially when we were at 65 scholarships, 75 scholarships, with a lot of wear and tear on those guys."
It was a luxury the Nittany Lions (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) didn't have when Franklin took over as a team lacking depth was forced to play its starters throughout as the team clawed for wins. Now, the team is riding its longest wave of momentum since the 2011 season and will try to win its fifth-straight conference game for the first time since Joe Paterno last coached.
It'll have to go through a well-rested and competitive Iowa team to do so.
The Hawkeyes (5-3, 3-2) last played on Oct. 22 and gave then-No. 10 Wisconsin fits. They held a bruising Badgers offense to just 17 points.
Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions have enjoyed an offensive resurgence lately. Led by an offensive line that has ramped up its physicality, the Nittany Lions are averaging just under 34 points per game. They've churned out 471 yards or more in three of their last four games.
Both quarterback Trace McSorley and tight end Mike Gesicki agreed last week that Penn State's offense has yet to reach its full potential, however. Iowa can ensure that remains the case as soon as Saturday night.
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH
--RB Saquon Barkley ravaged Purdue's defense with 207 rushing yards and added 70 more receiving yards. He's a threat to score every time he touches the ball and offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead is finding new ways to feed him, motioning him in and out of the backfield and getting him more involved in the receiving game.
--QB Trace McSorley sometimes takes a while to find his accuracy, other times he's dialed-in right away. The latter was the case against Purdue where Penn State's receivers dropped a handful of balls early. He still threw three touchdown passes and has become a nice triggerman in Joe Moorhead's offense. All defensive coordinators must respect McSorley at this point. He can buy time with his feet hasn't thrown an interception in 106 attempts and has 10 total touchdowns in that span.
--WR DaeSean Hamilton has struggled this season as Penn State's passing offense has gotten by with timely deep balls. The shifty slot receiver initially made a name for himself as a player who could use his quickness to get yards after the catch. But he's struggled lately and hasn't had a 100-yard receiving game since 2014. He'll need to improve against a sturdy Iowa pass defense as Penn State may try to use a short passing game to open up Barkley up the middle.
--DE Garrett Sickels came off the bench for his second-straight game. Although he didn't have a sack -- mostly because Purdue's David Blough got rid of the ball quickly -- Sickels continuously pushed his tackle backward. Really all of Penn State's defensive ends need to be watched here as two of Iowa's interior linemen are underclassmen. Center James Daniels will need to be ready to handle the stunts Penn State uses to free its ends to rush up the middle.
--MLB Jason Cabinda's ability to step up and fill gaps quickly is second-to-none on Penn State's roster. He'll be counted on to keep Iowa's rushing offense grounded early and could play a bigger role in coverage this week. Iowa's tight end George Kittle is one of quarterback C.J. Beathard's favorite targets and Cabinda will likely have to pick him up over the middle.
