The key good, bad and ugly moments in Iowa football’s comeback win over Penn State

IOWA CITY — There’s only so many ways to relax after watching quarterback Mark Gronowski secure a game-winning first down in a 25-24 win over Penn State.

The fans in Kinnick Stadium chose to scream, the Iowa football bench followed suit.

The one-point win over the Nittany Lions set up an opportunity for Iowa (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) to secure bowl eligibility against rival Minnesota this Saturday. Of course, the win over Penn State was a fourth quarter comeback that ended with Gronowski playing hero in front of of Hawkeye fans.

It wasn’t without its flaws, though.

“Consistently played hard all game,” head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “There were ups and downs like any game between two really good teams. They played through those ups and downs. Certainly fought and competed. Never gave up on each other either. I thought that was critical in a game where you have these swings.”

Considering its the start of a three-game homestand, a comeback win in conference play certainly helps the positive momentum that began at Wisconsin last week. Even with Gronowski’s monstrous effort, he wasn’t the only one who deserves their flowers over the Nittany Lions, either.

Here are the unsung good, bad and ugly moments in Iowa’s win over Penn State.

The good

Drew Stevens’ record-breaking kick

Gronowski stole the show, to be sure, but kicker Drew Stevens broke an all-time program record in the win over the Nittany Lions.

Just a few plays into the fourth quarter, Stevens kicked a 31-yard field goal to make it a 21-19 game for the record. He entered the game second in program history, behind Nate Kaeding (2000-03) with 67 made field goals.

Stevens knocked down a 39-yarder in the first quarter to tie the record and broke it before 60 minutes of football was done.

Stevens has gone 68-for-86 in his career for field goals, including a 14-for-19 mark this season.

The bad

Third down conversions

Gronowski’s 130 rushing yards against Penn State helped boost the Hawkeyes in the fourth quarter, but the Iowa offense still struggled to advance across the field for most of the game. The run game was by far the most successful, with Iowa accumulating 245 yards on the ground — including all three touchdowns.

Iowa, however, didn’t run the ball often on third down. Gronowski was just 10-for-16 for 68 passing yards, including one interception. It was his worst passing game since Iowa played Iowa State in Week 2.

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The Hawkeyes were just 4-for-10 on third down conversions. Granted, offensive coordinator Tim Lester saw the pattern and relied on the run game as needed, but the Hawkeyes weren’t able to connect as easily.

Did the passing game matter when the clock hit zero? Not really. Ferentz said Gronowski still isn’t completely 100 percent, and it could play a part in the incomplete third downs.

The ugly

The blocked kick returned for a touchdown

This one seems pretty obvious.

Ferentz owned up to the call instantly, saying it was his fault and he put the win in jeopardy. The Hawkeyes nearly had a halftime lead, and instead of running out the clock with a three point advantage, Ferentz went for a 66-yard field goal attempt.

It was blocked by Penn State’s special teams and the Nittany Lions returned it for a touchdown. To make matters worse, Penn State had the ball to start the second half and scored a touchdown in that drive, too.

“We were doing some good things, feeling a little bit better. Boom, now you drop an anvil right on the team,” Ferentz said. “Yeah, I owned it. First thing I told them, bad decision. You keep playing. You have 30 minutes. You keep playing. They did it, thank goodness.”

That set up Iowa’s 21-10 deficit it eventually overcame in the fourth quarter, but the silence across Kinnick Stadium in watching that play unfold was deafening.

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