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Penn State kicks off tough stretch at Iowa

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Penn State has beaten its first five opponents by nearly 40 points per game.

The Nittany Lions’ next three games may not be quite so easy.

No. 10 Penn State’s playoff hopes will likely hinge on how it performs during a brutal stretch that begins Saturday at 17th-ranked Iowa. The Hawkeyes (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) will be the first Top 25 team the Nittany Lions (5-0, 2-0) face this season, and they’ll be followed by a home date with No. 16 Michigan and a trip to Michigan State.

Iowa will also represent the biggest test yet for quarterback Sean Clifford and Penn State’s high-flying offense. The Hawkeyes are third nationally in scoring defense at 8.8 points a game, behind only Wisconsin (5.8) and the Nittany Lions (7.4) in coach Kirk Ferentz’s 21st season in charge.

“It’s amazing. You put the tape on, especially on the defensive side of the ball, it looks the same as it did four years ago,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “I hope that (doesn’t) come off the wrong way, because I mean that as the ultimate compliment. They do what they do, and they do it really well.”

EXTRA POINTS

Franklin is 3-0 against Iowa. ... Hawkeyes freshman Tyler Goodson, who started the season fourth on the depth chart, leads all Big Ten running backs with 14 receptions. ... Neither Penn State nor Iowa has allowed more than 17 points in a game this season. ... In a series that often comes down to the wire, the Hawkeyes are in good hands with kicker Keith Duncan. He’s second nationally with 11 field goals and has missed just one all year.

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