Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
TD pass as time expires keeps No. 4 Nittany Lions unbeaten
Penn State rallies for victory, stunning Iowa
IOWA CITY, Iowa — It was happening like it had so often in the past.
A once-sluggish Iowa team had come to life in the fourth quarter at home under the lights, and another top-five opponent was set to go down.
Trace McSorley, Juwan Johnson and the resilient Nittany Lions flipped the script, though, scoring on the game’s final play to survive a wild Big Ten opener.
Johnson caught a 7-yard TD pass from McSorley as time expired and fourth-ranked Penn State rallied to stun Iowa 21-19 Saturday night.
Saquon Barkley had 211 yards rushing and 94 yards receiving for the Nittany Lions (4-0, 1-0), who outgained Iowa 579-273 but nearly blew a game that could’ve been crippling to their postseason hopes.
“Felt like with (Johnson) we had a height advantage and we could slip him through the middle of the field,” Penn State coach James Franklin said of the winning play.
Akrum Wadley had a 70-yard TD reception midway through the fourth quarter and a 35-yard touchdown run with 1:42 left to put the Hawkeyes (3-1, 0-1) ahead 19-15.
Penn State went 80 yards on 12 plays and just 1:42 to close out the game, and McSorley found Johnson in a crowded end zone on fourth down.
McSorley finished with 284 yards passing on 48 tries.
Wadley had 80 yards rushing and 75 yards receiving and Nate Stanley threw for 191 yards and two TDs for Iowa.
“It’s a tough loss for all of us,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “You can see first-hand why they were the Big Ten champs last year.”
On the game-winning play, Barkley picked up a blitzing linebacker to give McSorley some extra time to throw the pass.
The Nittany Lions could have taken an 18-13 lead with 2:28 left in the fourth quarter, but came up empty on a 15-play, 75-yard drive when Anthony Nelson blocked Tyler Davis’ 31-yard field-goal attempt.
On that drive, Penn State leaned on Barkley, who converted a crucial fourth-and 1 with 5:38 left.
Three plays later, Barkley took a short pass 15 yards to the Iowa 15.
Barkley’s 8-yard scamper midway through the third period gave the Nittany Lions a little breathing room at 15-7. The key play was a 44-yard run by Penn State’s junior Heisman Trophy candidate, who got to show off his quickness and power dodging tacklers and tiptoeing down the sideline to set up Penn State’s first touchdown
Barkley became the seventh player in Penn State history to reach 3,000 yards.
McSorley atoned for costly errors at the end of the second and third periods. His interception late in the second period led to the Hawkeyes’ first touchdown.
Toward the end of the third period, he was sacked by A.J. Epenesa and fumbled on the Iowa 45. Josey Jewell recovered. The Hawkeyes moved into field-goal territory where the offense stalled. Iowa came up empty as Miguel Recinos’ 36-yard field-goal attempt was blocked by Troy Apke.