The importance of the Iowa win

[NewEra 2014]

It is amusing to see some folks minimize the Iowa win. In all likelihood, that Iowa win is going to be this team's best win of the season. It certainly is the most important, for a few reasons.

First, it showed the continued separation in the contribution levels between the underclassmen and the upperclassmen. It has been a long time since we have seen a Penn State team have such poor production from its upperclassmen (other than Trace), which is part of the reason why this season has been so frustrating to watch. We can argue about whether the underclassmen are being given as much playing time as they should be getting, but we are seeing the emergence of young WR, LB, and DL players that bodes very well for the future.

You saw a team that is beginning to shed the label of being soft. When Trace went down with an injury, instead of feeling sorry for itself, this team rallied. There was a fire and determination that I hadn't yet seen from this Penn State squad. As an added bonus, Stevens showed that he can lead this team, and the team responds very well to Tommy's leadership.

The best news is that the defense is starting to grow into a formidable unit. We finally started to see guys step up and make some plays. This hasn't happened for far too long with the Penn State defense. But it happened on Saturday, and you can see the light click on with a few of the young guys. When a player finally "gets it", they begin to play faster, and more and more good things happen. For example, you are going to continue to see a better pass rush this year, now that YGM has figured out how good he is. Not only will he be better each game, the guys playing around him will be better as well because YGM will deserve more attention from the other team.

Given the lack of upperclassmen leadership on the Penn State squad, it is a minor miracle that this team has only seen two close losses so far this year. But for the first time, I saw signs that we are turning the corner. It will be interesting to see how the coaches manage playing time for the rest of the season. The future, and present, of this team resides with the underclassmen.

 

[bdgan]

It is amusing to see some folks minimize the Iowa win. In all likelihood, that Iowa win is going to be this team's best win of the season. It certainly is the most important, for a few reasons.

First, it showed the continued separation in the contribution levels between the underclassmen and the upperclassmen. It has been a long time since we have seen a Penn State team have such poor production from its upperclassmen (other than Trace), which is part of the reason why this season has been so frustrating to watch. We can argue about whether the underclassmen are being given as much playing time as they should be getting, but we are seeing the emergence of young WR, LB, and DL players that bodes very well for the future.

You saw a team that is beginning to shed the label of being soft. When Trace went down with an injury, instead of feeling sorry for itself, this team rallied. There was a fire and determination that I hadn't yet seen from this Penn State squad. As an added bonus, Stevens showed that he can lead this team, and the team responds very well to Tommy's leadership.

The best news is that the defense is starting to grow into a formidable unit. We finally started to see guys step up and make some plays. This hasn't happened for far too long with the Penn State defense. But it happened on Saturday, and you can see the light click on with a few of the young guys. When a player finally "gets it", they begin to play faster, and more and more good things happen. For example, you are going to continue to see a better pass rush this year, now that YGM has figured out how good he is. Not only will he be better each game, the guys playing around him will be better as well because YGM will deserve more attention from the other team.

Given the lack of upperclassmen leadership on the Penn State squad, it is a minor miracle that this team has only seen two close losses so far this year. But for the first time, I saw signs that we are turning the corner. It will be interesting to see how the coaches manage playing time for the rest of the season. The future, and present, of this team resides with the underclassmen.

Nobody ever said that Trace was soft. That criticism is primarily directed to the WRs not named Hamler.

I still have concerns about the defense. Iowa doesn't have a great offense and the weather conditions were bad. Stanley also had an off day (hurried pass to TE intercepted, missed a wide open receiver for a TD). The PSU defense might have had something to do with it but remember this is the same defense that yielded 554 yards to Indiana just a week earlier.

Matos is a star in the making but I'm not sure who else. Givens is already very good. Parsons is a work in progress. It was nice to see Brooks get some PT in the second quarter. The defense seemed to have more energy when he was in there.

 

[NewEra 2014]

Nobody ever said that Trace was soft. That criticism is primarily directed to the WRs not named Hamler.

Just to be clear, I don't know how anyone could even think that Trace is soft. I'm not sure where that comment even came from.

But I have thought that certain WRs and certain elements on our defense have been soft. The point of my post is that some of the young guys are helping this team to shed the perception.

 

[sluggo72]

because it got CJF a $200k bonus??

Bonus update: A number of coaches earned bonus money this weekend, according to Steve Berkowtiz, including; Utah’s Kyle Whittingham ($172.5k for bowl eligibility), Louisiana Tech’s Skip Holtz ($25k for bowl eligibility), Clemson’s Dabo Swinney (at least $50k for 8th win of the season), Kansas’ David Beaty ($100k for beating a Power 5 team), North Texas’ Seth Littrell ($20k for 7th win), Penn State’s James Franklin ($200k), Boise State’s Bryan Harsin ($35k for bowl eligibility), FIU’s Butch Davis ($35k for bowl eligibility), Virginia’s Bronco Mendenhall ($75k for bowl eligibility) and Randy Edsall earned $4,000 in bonus money for scoring first and leading at halftime in their loss to UMass.

 

[Woodpecker]

Randy Edsall earned $4,000 in bonus money for scoring first and leading at halftime in their loss to UMass

Why would any school agree to paying for such meaningless things?

 

[Art]

because it got CJF a $200k bonus??

Bonus update: A number of coaches earned bonus money this weekend, according to Steve Berkowtiz, including; Utah’s Kyle Whittingham ($172.5k for bowl eligibility), Louisiana Tech’s Skip Holtz ($25k for bowl eligibility), Clemson’s Dabo Swinney (at least $50k for 8th win of the season), Kansas’ David Beaty ($100k for beating a Power 5 team), North Texas’ Seth Littrell ($20k for 7th win), Penn State’s James Franklin ($200k), Boise State’s Bryan Harsin ($35k for bowl eligibility), FIU’s Butch Davis ($35k for bowl eligibility), Virginia’s Bronco Mendenhall ($75k for bowl eligibility) and Randy Edsall earned $4,000 in bonus money for scoring first and leading at halftime in their loss to UMass.

Why would any school agree to paying for such meaningless things?

Because a) it's a seller's market; and b) the folks who agree to such contracts, college presidents and ADs, are ninnies, in no particular order of importance.

While I don't begrudge Franklin his money, reality is that PSU, or any Big Ten team for that matter, makes more money staying home than going to a bowl that is not a NY6, and I'm sure that PSU does all in it's power to eliminate the exception.

 

[hagberg]

Why would any school agree to paying for such meaningless things?

That's not necessarily meaningless for Edsall...

 

[baircub1!]

It is amusing to see some folks minimize the Iowa win. In all likelihood, that Iowa win is going to be this team's best win of the season. It certainly is the most important, for a few reasons.

First, it showed the continued separation in the contribution levels between the underclassmen and the upperclassmen. It has been a long time since we have seen a Penn State team have such poor production from its upperclassmen (other than Trace), which is part of the reason why this season has been so frustrating to watch. We can argue about whether the underclassmen are being given as much playing time as they should be getting, but we are seeing the emergence of young WR, LB, and DL players that bodes very well for the future.

You saw a team that is beginning to shed the label of being soft. When Trace went down with an injury, instead of feeling sorry for itself, this team rallied. There was a fire and determination that I hadn't yet seen from this Penn State squad. As an added bonus, Stevens showed that he can lead this team, and the team responds very well to Tommy's leadership.

The best news is that the defense is starting to grow into a formidable unit. We finally started to see guys step up and make some plays. This hasn't happened for far too long with the Penn State defense. But it happened on Saturday, and you can see the light click on with a few of the young guys. When a player finally "gets it", they begin to play faster, and more and more good things happen. For example, you are going to continue to see a better pass rush this year, now that YGM has figured out how good he is. Not only will he be better each game, the guys playing around him will be better as well because YGM will deserve more attention from the other team.

Given the lack of upperclassmen leadership on the Penn State squad, it is a minor miracle that this team has only seen two close losses so far this year. But for the first time, I saw signs that we are turning the corner. It will be interesting to see how the coaches manage playing time for the rest of the season. The future, and present, of this team resides with the underclassmen.

And it was a HUGE game for Iowa...they knew Wisconsin had lost earlier and have to icredit to our OL...because the Hawkeyes may have the best DL in the Big 10...

 

[Howie'81]

The Iowa win was HUGE for this team and program. I believe the worst we'll do now is 9 - 3 and a great shot at 10 - 2 again with an upset this weekend, one that I think is realistic to hope for.

 

[Howie'81]

It is amusing to see some folks minimize the Iowa win. In all likelihood, that Iowa win is going to be this team's best win of the season. It certainly is the most important, for a few reasons.

First, it showed the continued separation in the contribution levels between the underclassmen and the upperclassmen. It has been a long time since we have seen a Penn State team have such poor production from its upperclassmen (other than Trace), which is part of the reason why this season has been so frustrating to watch. We can argue about whether the underclassmen are being given as much playing time as they should be getting, but we are seeing the emergence of young WR, LB, and DL players that bodes very well for the future.

You saw a team that is beginning to shed the label of being soft. When Trace went down with an injury, instead of feeling sorry for itself, this team rallied. There was a fire and determination that I hadn't yet seen from this Penn State squad. As an added bonus, Stevens showed that he can lead this team, and the team responds very well to Tommy's leadership.

The best news is that the defense is starting to grow into a formidable unit. We finally started to see guys step up and make some plays. This hasn't happened for far too long with the Penn State defense. But it happened on Saturday, and you can see the light click on with a few of the young guys. When a player finally "gets it", they begin to play faster, and more and more good things happen. For example, you are going to continue to see a better pass rush this year, now that YGM has figured out how good he is. Not only will he be better each game, the guys playing around him will be better as well because YGM will deserve more attention from the other team.

Given the lack of upperclassmen leadership on the Penn State squad, it is a minor miracle that this team has only seen two close losses so far this year. But for the first time, I saw signs that we are turning the corner. It will be interesting to see how the coaches manage playing time for the rest of the season. The future, and present, of this team resides with the underclassmen.

Dead on.

 

[2020 is Our Year]

Ultimately we won a home game that we should have won against a program that we should beat regularly that made us bowl eligible and kept our hopes alive for a NY6 game. That's the true significance of it. Other than that we saw glimpses of what the future may hold.

I also disagree that we lack leadership from the upperclassmen. Trace, Nick Scott and Oruwariye are clearly the leaders of this team right now.

Also, if Iowa is our best win this season then it's a disappointing season IMO

 

[PearlSUJam]

 

[massimoManca II]

Nobody ever said that Trace was soft. That criticism is primarily directed to the WRs not named Hamler.

I still have concerns about the defense. Iowa doesn't have a great offense and the weather conditions were bad. Stanley also had an off day (hurried pass to TE intercepted, missed a wide open receiver for a TD). The PSU defense might have had something to do with it but remember this is the same defense that yielded 554 yards to Indiana just a week earlier.

Matos is a star in the making but I'm not sure who else. Givens is already very good. Parsons is a work in progress. It was nice to see Brooks get some PT in the second quarter. The defense seemed to have more energy when he was in there.

OP certainly did not say the TS9 was soft... nor was it implied. #holycrap

 

[MacNit07]

It is amusing to see some folks minimize the Iowa win. In all likelihood, that Iowa win is going to be this team's best win of the season. It certainly is the most important, for a few reasons.

First, it showed the continued separation in the contribution levels between the underclassmen and the upperclassmen. It has been a long time since we have seen a Penn State team have such poor production from its upperclassmen (other than Trace), which is part of the reason why this season has been so frustrating to watch. We can argue about whether the underclassmen are being given as much playing time as they should be getting, but we are seeing the emergence of young WR, LB, and DL players that bodes very well for the future.

You saw a team that is beginning to shed the label of being soft. When Trace went down with an injury, instead of feeling sorry for itself, this team rallied. There was a fire and determination that I hadn't yet seen from this Penn State squad. As an added bonus, Stevens showed that he can lead this team, and the team responds very well to Tommy's leadership.

The best news is that the defense is starting to grow into a formidable unit. We finally started to see guys step up and make some plays. This hasn't happened for far too long with the Penn State defense. But it happened on Saturday, and you can see the light click on with a few of the young guys. When a player finally "gets it", they begin to play faster, and more and more good things happen. For example, you are going to continue to see a better pass rush this year, now that YGM has figured out how good he is. Not only will he be better each game, the guys playing around him will be better as well because YGM will deserve more attention from the other team.

Given the lack of upperclassmen leadership on the Penn State squad, it is a minor miracle that this team has only seen two close losses so far this year. But for the first time, I saw signs that we are turning the corner. It will be interesting to see how the coaches manage playing time for the rest of the season. The future, and present, of this team resides with the underclassmen.

Good post...agree...if we can finish 10-3 this season, would consider it a huge success.

 

[PSU87]

Ultimately we won a home game that we should have won against a program that we should beat regularly that made us bowl eligible and kept our hopes alive for a NY6 game. That's the true significance of it. Other than that we saw glimpses of what the future may hold.

I also disagree that we lack leadership from the upperclassmen. Trace, Nick Scott and Oruwariye are clearly the leaders of this team right now.

Also, if Iowa is our best win this season then it's a disappointing season IMO

"Strategically" I agree. Beating Iowa at home should be a fairly regular occurrence.
"Tactically" I agree with the OP. Iowa was a 1 loss, top 20 team. We have struggled the last 2 games. When we went down 12-0, the team easily could have folded. In fact, I thought we might.
Give credit..... in this instance, that was a good win. This wasn't Rutgres or Indiana, Iowa is a solid program.

 

[LongJakk]

Fyi. Fant wasn't the intended receiver. The RB was. Fant was supposed to block Scott, which allowed him to jump the route for an interception.

 

[danvillenit]

Absolutely agree. Not sure when a double digit win season became unacceptable but it is unrealistic. In the division we play it is not a big disappointment unless the team is loaded for a real run at the playoffs. That was not the case this year

 

[bdgan]

OP certainly did not say the TS9 was soft... nor was it implied. #holycrap

Replying to this statement "You saw a team that is beginning to shed the label of being soft". Just tried to point out that those accusations have been aimed at WRs, not the team as a whole.

 

[Grant Green]

because it got CJF a $200k bonus??

Bonus update: A number of coaches earned bonus money this weekend, according to Steve Berkowtiz, including; Utah’s Kyle Whittingham ($172.5k for bowl eligibility), Louisiana Tech’s Skip Holtz ($25k for bowl eligibility), Clemson’s Dabo Swinney (at least $50k for 8th win of the season), Kansas’ David Beaty ($100k for beating a Power 5 team), North Texas’ Seth Littrell ($20k for 7th win), Penn State’s James Franklin ($200k), Boise State’s Bryan Harsin ($35k for bowl eligibility), FIU’s Butch Davis ($35k for bowl eligibility), Virginia’s Bronco Mendenhall ($75k for bowl eligibility) and Randy Edsall earned $4,000 in bonus money for scoring first and leading at halftime in their loss to UMass.

Whoa! Edsal, seriously? I know it's not a lot of money, but that is ridiculous. Especially considering that they are one of the bottom 3 teams in the country and lost the game. He should give that to charity.

What is JF bonus for? bowl eligibility I presume.

 

[AWS1022]

Ultimately we won a home game that we should have won against a program that we should beat regularly that made us bowl eligible and kept our hopes alive for a NY6 game. That's the true significance of it. Other than that we saw glimpses of what the future may hold.

I also disagree that we lack leadership from the upperclassmen. Trace, Nick Scott and Oruwariye are clearly the leaders of this team right now.

Also, if Iowa is our best win this season then it's a disappointing season IMO

Apparently we only had two other chances all season for a “better” win, so be disappointed if you must. At this point this a better win than MSU would have been and Wiscy will be, so other than OSU and Michigan, there weren’t a lot of chances for a better win.

 

[grinagrin]

View embedded media

Surprised they didn’t mention a “DT catching an over the shoulder Td on a fake Fg” in the headline.

 

[2020 is Our Year]

"Strategically" I agree. Beating Iowa at home should be a fairly regular occurrence.
"Tactically" I agree with the OP. Iowa was a 1 loss, top 20 team. We have struggled the last 2 games. When we went down 12-0, the team easily could have folded. In fact, I thought we might.
Give credit..... in this instance, that was a good win. This wasn't Rutgres or Indiana, Iowa is a solid program.

I'm fine with saying it was a solid or a good win. They're definitely not Rutgers. Iowa really hasn't beaten anyone with a pulse this year (Iowa State?) but they're a very good defensive team that will stay in games. We'll see how good Iowa the next two weeks against Purdue and Northwestern. If they win both of those games that win will definitely look better.

 

[massimoManca II]

Replying to this statement "You saw a team that is beginning to shed the label of being soft". Just tried to point out that those accusations have been aimed at WRs, not the team as a whole.

Yeah, for the most part the team has been playing flaccid... it’s actually not a reflection of TS9

 

[AWS1022]

Yeah, for the most part the team has been playing flaccid... it’s actually not a reflection of TS9

Is that better than playing stiff?

 

[Nitt1300]

It is amusing to see some folks minimize the Iowa win. In all likelihood, that Iowa win is going to be this team's best win of the season. It certainly is the most important, for a few reasons.

First, it showed the continued separation in the contribution levels between the underclassmen and the upperclassmen. It has been a long time since we have seen a Penn State team have such poor production from its upperclassmen (other than Trace), which is part of the reason why this season has been so frustrating to watch. We can argue about whether the underclassmen are being given as much playing time as they should be getting, but we are seeing the emergence of young WR, LB, and DL players that bodes very well for the future.

You saw a team that is beginning to shed the label of being soft. When Trace went down with an injury, instead of feeling sorry for itself, this team rallied. There was a fire and determination that I hadn't yet seen from this Penn State squad. As an added bonus, Stevens showed that he can lead this team, and the team responds very well to Tommy's leadership.

The best news is that the defense is starting to grow into a formidable unit. We finally started to see guys step up and make some plays. This hasn't happened for far too long with the Penn State defense. But it happened on Saturday, and you can see the light click on with a few of the young guys. When a player finally "gets it", they begin to play faster, and more and more good things happen. For example, you are going to continue to see a better pass rush this year, now that YGM has figured out how good he is. Not only will he be better each game, the guys playing around him will be better as well because YGM will deserve more attention from the other team.

Given the lack of upperclassmen leadership on the Penn State squad, it is a minor miracle that this team has only seen two close losses so far this year. But for the first time, I saw signs that we are turning the corner. It will be interesting to see how the coaches manage playing time for the rest of the season. The future, and present, of this team resides with the underclassmen.

you have to remember that there are some people here rooting for CJF to fail, so wins must be downplayed

 

[AWS1022]

you have to remember that there are some people here rooting for CJF to fail, so wins must be downplayed

Can’t prove themselves right if he keeps winning.

 

[LMTLION]

I have a hard time seeing the same level of optimism with the defense. There were still too many holes on Saturday and a quarterback with a pulse could’ve ripped us apart. The only true improvement I see is the dl..... LBs and secondary are still way too much of a liability. We are recruiting at a level that Iowa at home should be a 2+ TD victory easily.

 

[bdgan]

Yeah, for the most part the team has been playing flaccid... it’s actually not a reflection of TS9

BTW, I hope everything came out all right.

 

[TrevYoung]

Why would any school agree to paying for such meaningless things?

Here is an explanation of Randy Edsall's contract.

https://www.sbnation.com/college-fo.../randy-edsall-uconn-bonus-incentives-contract

 

[nittanyfan333]

We are recruiting at a level that Iowa at home should be a 2+ TD victory easily.

A great 2018 recruiting class doesn’t mean instant success. Hell, neither does a great 2017 class. The percentage of true freshmen and sophomores that make immediate game-changing impacts is VERY small.

I swear to the good lord I’m on the cusp of auto-ignoring these morons that find even the smallest thing to b!tch about. It was said by NUMEROUS posters, the vast majority of whom are very seasoned posters, that this would be a rebuilding season and that we’re not yet to the point of reloading. And that was solely talking about the players, with no mention of the coaching turnover.

Something tells me these here boards are about to become very slow for me.....

 

[LMTLION]

We are recruiting at a level that Iowa at home should be a 2+ TD victory easily.

A great 2018 recruiting class doesn’t mean instant success. Hell, neither does a great 2017 class. The percentage of true freshmen and sophomores that make immediate game-changing impacts is VERY small.

I swear to the good lord I’m on the cusp of auto-ignoring these morons that find even the smallest thing to b!tch about. It was said by NUMEROUS posters, the vast majority of whom are very seasoned posters, that this would be a rebuilding season and that we’re not yet to the point of reloading. And that was solely talking about the players, with no mention of the coaching turnover.

Something tells me these here boards are about to become very slow for me.....

Your last sentence is probably a good idea considering the emotional response.
But to be honest you need to admit we have recruited at a much higher level than iowa for 4 yrs now.

 

[danvillenit]

Your last sentence is probably a good idea considering the emotional response.
But to be honest you need to admit we have recruited at a much higher level than iowa for 4 yrs now.

And we’ve beat them five straight times. Does the score really matter that much

 

[81b&w]

I've never taken Iowa lightly and their posters were saying this was their best team in quite a while. I remember guys like Tim Dwight, who could do no wrong against us. They are always dangerous

 

[81b&w]

So maybe this will be like the 29-26 overtime win against Minnesota in 2016 that really changed the season around?

 

[Carl Spackler]

My preseason prediction was 9-3 but when we started well I drank a cup of kool-aid, blueberry flavor and caught the fever for a bit. I also thought we may be at the point of reloading, that was premature. We are not quite there yet. Our roster balance is not quite there from the dark days but is coming into focus, a healthy balance, I think.

Being a fan since the mid-1960's provides perspective. I keenly remember the period after the 1st NC from 1983-84, the big surprise of 1985 and the fairy tale season of 1986. The period from 1987 through 1991, up and down. The 1st loss at Colorado in 1970 after 29 consecutive wins, if I remember correctly? That was a big downer but it had to happen someday. The 77 team that imo was better than the 78 team but lost to a great Kentucky (SEC champs) team that year. We have always been a cyclical team, not a reloading team and program.

Would I like a reloading dynasty? Sure but can you achieve that and still do things the "right way"? It is a tightrope walk. We require good students, in general, to matriculate into our school and that is not as much of a hindrance at other institutions. I trust things are headed in a good direction under the current leadership of the football program. Improvements can always be made, make them but don't sacrifice the core of what makes the Pennsylvania State University a very special place, Shangrila in Happy Valley.

 

[NittanyOpp]

This is typical, the guy never said Trace was soft. First poster immediately attack him as if that is what he said. Some of you on here need to get a grip, big time.

 

[NittanyOpp]

Iowa win was big for many reasons, most of which basically guarantees us at least 8 wins and at least an Outback or Citrus Bowl game. Win out, maybe see Rose, lose only one more, Peach possible. Though we may not care about some lesser bowls, the kids on the team do and recruits will when we are showcased on national tv. Winning matters for everything, 7-5 would be a set back for our momentum. It was big.

 

[PSUinCali]

I have a hard time seeing the same level of optimism with the defense. There were still too many holes on Saturday and a quarterback with a pulse could’ve ripped us apart. The only true improvement I see is the dl..... LBs and secondary are still way too much of a liability. We are recruiting at a level that Iowa at home should be a 2+ TD victory easily.

What do you mean? One of the stellar announcers of the game said Stanley is an NFL QB work in progess...

 

[Lefty Hill]

What do you mean? One of the stellar announcers of the game said Stanley is an NFL QB work in progess...

I didn’t like how he looked. He looked like a big, ugly, ah-hem woman.

 

[nittanyfan333]

We are recruiting at a level that Iowa at home should be a 2+ TD victory easily.

A great 2018 recruiting class doesn’t mean instant success. Hell, neither does a great 2017 class. The percentage of true freshmen and sophomores that make immediate game-changing impacts is VERY small.

I swear to the good lord I’m on the cusp of auto-ignoring these morons that find even the smallest thing to b!tch about. It was said by NUMEROUS posters, the vast majority of whom are very seasoned posters, that this would be a rebuilding season and that we’re not yet to the point of reloading. And that was solely talking about the players, with no mention of the coaching turnover.

Something tells me these here boards are about to become very slow for me.....

Your last sentence is probably a good idea considering the emotional response.
But to be honest you need to admit we have recruited at a much higher level than iowa for 4 yrs now.

Then I guess it’s settled. We’re gonna lose to Michigan this weekend because they’ve out-recruited us 2 of the last 3 years. Good thing recruiting classes determine wins and losses.