Hawkeyes march past Penn State, 21-10

Penn State choked away its momentum, its composure and a 10-point lead in Beaver Stadium tonight, falling to the Iowa Hawkeyes 21-10. Kirk Ferentz has now won seven of eight against Joe Paterno and Penn State, knocking the Lions out of the top-five for the second consecutive matchup. It was a tale of variety on the rain-soaked field, as Iowa scored on a field goal, a safety, a blocked punt for a touchdown, and a rushing touchdown -- the first given up by Penn State this season.

Quarterback Daryll Clark completed a mere 12 of 32 pass attempts for 198 yards, with one score and three interceptions, in the face of relentless pressure from the Hawkeyes' defensive front four. But the night began in nearly opposite fashion, as Clark connected to a wide open Chaz Powell for a 79-yard touchdown score on the Lions' first offensive play.

"Crap," Ferentz told ESPN's Lisa Salters after the game. "That's what I thought, 'crap.'"

But things wouldn't be so crappy when the final whistle sounded. Despite a valiant effort by Penn State's defense, holding Iowa to 298 total yards, the Hawkeyes scored any way they could, beginning with the second quarter safety by Broderick Binns, who forced a Clark fumble in the end zone. The ball was recovered by Penn State to save the touchdown, but momentum had swung in Iowa's favor, trailing 10-2. It would not swing back.

Penn State turned the ball over four times, all seemingly at the most critical junctions in the game for the Lions.

All of Clark's interceptions came in Iowa territory. Following 18 unanswered points -- 16 in the fourth quarter alone -- by the Hawkeyes, Chaz Powell returned the kickoff past midfield, and even drew a late hit call to move the Lions to inside the Iowa 35. But an Evan Royster fumble near the Iowa 25 virtually ended any real chance for Penn State to turn things around. The Nittany Lions would rush for only 109 total yards.

Iowa would run out the clock, wrapping things up with a Daniel Murray field goal to push the final to 21-10.

The story of the night was the battle in the trenches, specifically Penn State's offensive line unable to hold up against an active Iowa line. Clark had very little time to operate in the pocket, which forced Penn State out of down-and-distance schedule. The Lions were frequently in second-and-long and third-and-long situations. This left little room for an effective running game.

For the second year in a row, Iowa "just hung around" long enough for Penn State to make a critical mistake. The Lions made several of them, allotting the Hawkeyes several chances to win the game. Iowa took advantage of just enough of those opportunities for another win over Penn State.

Check back tomorrow for the full unit-by-unit breakdown of the game. Also up tomorrow: Top 25.