There were many ideas and suggestions from all over the place. Could we see Akrum Wadley and LeShun Daniels on the field at the same time? Would Desmond King see the field on the offensive side of the ball (i.e. Jabrill Peppers at Michigan)? Could C.J. Beathard develop more chemistry with the wide receivers during the bye week?

All of the eyes were on the potential changes that offensive coordinator Greg Davis and company as Iowa stepped onto Beaver Stadium on Saturday night.

Unfortunately, the Hawkeye offense went from anemic to floundering like the catch of the day ready to be deep-fried.

There were subtle changes to the system. Daniels and Wadley did see the field together, and Wadley did score a touchdown late in the second quarter after lining up in the slot. As a whole, it was much of the same we have seen sans the Purdue game.

The 41-14 loss at Beaver Stadium all but makes Iowa path to a repeat B1G West title basically nonexistent as they still have showdowns with ranked Michigan and Nebraska teams on the horizon.

The offense managed a measly 234 yards of total offense compared to 599 total yards for the Nittany Lions.

Coach Kirk Ferentz called this loss and the season so far “unacceptable.”

Ferentz said in his opening statement that his team “capable of responding.”

“Where do you want to start?” he said after being asked to clarify.

There are a lot of different possibilities where one could start.

For a team that prides itself on running the ball effectively, Iowa had a total of 30 rushing yards on 26 carries. That is an average of 1.2 per carry. Let that sink in.

Quarterback C.J. Beathard said that the team had a good two weeks of practice and he felt the team was prepared for coming into a tough road environment.

“I just think we did not play as hard as were expecting,” Beathard said.

Things are going to have to get figured out in a hurry, as Iowa will have the tall task of trying to beat a Michigan Wolverine squad that is coming off a drubbing of Maryland and will be without a doubt the toughest opponent they have played all year.

Whether people have a glass half full or glass half empty philosophy, the only thing to do is move on, fix what you can control, and get ready for the next challenge that lies ahead.

Kickoff for the Hawkeyes and Wolverines will be at 7:00 P.M. from Kinnick Stadium next Saturday night.

The post Iowa Offense Goes From Bad To Worse appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Penn State is coming off a 62-24 drubbing of Purdue last week and is ranked #12 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings released earlier this week. The Nittany Lions still have hopes of winning the Big Ten East if they get a little help and win out the rest of the way. Here are some keys for the Nittany Lions to come out victorious tonight:

Establish their pass rush early and often:

Penn State is among the Big Ten leaders in both total tackles and sacks, and Iowa’s offensive line has struggled at times protecting quarterback C.J. Beathard. The offensive line as a unit has allowed 20 sacks through eight games, while the Penn State defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 27 times so far this year. The Hawkeyes pride themselves on winning the battles in the trenches, so this should be one of the marquis personnel matchups of the evening.

Big plays in special teams:

Both the kickoff and punt return teams for Penn State have been among the worst in the conference when it comes to return yardage. In what should be a close game, getting a big return and winning the field position battle could tip the scales in Penn State’s favor.

Establish Saquon Barkley to open up offense:

Iowa will key in on stopping the big, bruising tailback for the Nittany Lions. Barkley has rushed for 888 yards and 10 touchdowns so far this season. Both of those marks are among the best the Big Ten has to offer. Getting Barkley going will force Iowa to not stuff the box and respect the receivers on the perimeter allowing Barkley to do his thing between the tackles.

Kickoff is less than an hour away from State College. Be sure to check our website krui.fm for more content from tonight’s game. You can also follow our Twitter page @KRUISports.

The post Penn State Looking to Keep Momentum Alive Against Iowa appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Get the run game going early: With the loss of star WR Matt VandeBerg, it’s no surprise that the Hawkeyes go to plan will be running the football. The Hawkeyes will need set the tone early with the run game to help open up the passing game and to keep their defensive fresh.

Take what the defense gives you: Even when there’s nothing there, we’ve seen CJ Beathard try to make a big play happen. With the lack of explosive playmakers, Iowa will need to take any yardage they can get to move the chains. The offense will have to sustain lengthy drives to keep the dynamic Penn State offense off the field.

Force Penn State RB, Saquon Barkely inside: Barkley has 888 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season while averaging 6.0 yards a carry. He is an athletic back who does most of his damage on the outside. Iowa will try to force Barkely back inside where their big body defenders dominate.

Get creative: Iowa has one of the most predictable offensive schemes in college football and they have lacked explosiveness throughout the season. For the first time in 2016, the Hawkeyes will have both LeShun Daniels and Akrum Wadley on the field at the same time. Wadley will line up in the slot in an attempt to give the offense some spark. Simply lining him up in the slot won’t be enough. Offensive coordinator Greg Davis will have to get creative with his offense and play aggressively if he wants to keep up with the Nittany Lions.

Focus on the game… not the environment: The Hawkeyes don’t have any players who have played in front of nearly 107,000 crowd at Beaver Stadium. The hostile and deafening environment helped the Nittany Lions upset the Ohio State Buckeyes just two weeks ago and you can bet that this crowd will bring the same type of energy.

Survive and advance: For those who are hopeful for an Iowa return to Indianapolis, they know this is a must win game. Iowa can’t afford another loss if they realistically want a shot at returning to the Big Ten Championship. The Hawkeyes are currently on a 9-game road-winning streak and will have the opportunity to extend that streak to double digits.

The post Keys to Success: Iowa vs. Penn State appeared first on KRUI Radio.