GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 24 Iowa Hawkeyes vs. No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions

When — 7:30 p.m. Where — Beaver Stadium TV — CBS

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

The Hawkeyes are trying to go 4-0 for the third time since 2019 in a place coach Kirk Ferentz has won before. His teams have won the last two games in the series, including a 41-21 win in 2020 in an empty Beaver Stadium during the pandemic. The atmosphere will be much more daunting this time as the Nittany Lions are playing in their second primetime game and want to make a statement against their first ranked foe. It's a “White Out” for the Nittany Lions.

KEY MATCHUP

Penn State’s passing game vs. Iowa’s zone defense. Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker likes to eliminate big plays and force opposing quarterbacks to make mistakes with multiple zone looks. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar hasn’t thrown an interception yet. If his receivers can find holes in Parker’s defense, Allar has the vision and arm strength to take advantage.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Iowa: DB Cooper DeJean. The Iowa junior does a little bit of everything. He’s played corner and safety and set the school’s single-season record with three pick-sixes last season. Not only is DeJean a ballhawk, he’s a capable return man, too, with an average punt return of 13.2 yards over the last two seasons. Penn State: WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith. So far, Lambert-Smith has been Penn State’s best weapon on offense. He’s fourth among Big Ten receivers with 220 yards and three touchdowns on 13 catches. He was wide open often last week and could see even more chances if teammate Tre Wallace has to sit out again with an unspecified ailment.