Iowa City
Penn State lost its first game with interim head coach Terry Smith, losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes 25-24 on Saturday night in Kinnick Stadium. Smith led the team after former head coach James Franklin was fired after the Nittany Lions lost to Northwestern last week.
Here are three takeaways from Penn State’s fourth straight loss of the season, which drops it to 3-4 on the year (and 0-4 in conference play).
Bowl eligibility is in serious question
Penn State’s chances of having any type of postseason shrank drastically with Saturday night’s loss. The Nittany Lions need three more wins to gain bowl eligibility, and it’s hard to find them on the schedule the rest of the way. The team’s next two matchups are against elite teams in Ohio State and Indiana, meaning Penn State will likely have to run the table in their final three games.
Those matchups — against Michigan State on the road, Nebraska at home and then Rutgers on the road — are winnable. But this team has given no reason to believe it can beat anyone in the Big Ten, let alone do so in three straight weeks, no matter how poor the competition. Michigan State might be the worst team in the conference, so that one could be a win. But Rutgers is probably on Penn State’s level and Nebraska is slightly better than it. It’s hard to fathom how far the Nittany Lions have fallen, but it might end up being merciful that this team doesn’t have to play in a low-level bowl game and instead can just let the season end in November.
OC Andy Kotelnicki goes back to 2-QB sets
One of the biggest aspects of Kotelnicki’s offense had been missing through Penn State’s first six games this season, but it made a return against Iowa. The Penn State offensive coordinator frequently pulled out two-quarterback formations against the Hawkeyes on Saturday, using starter Ethan Grunkemeyer and his backup Jaxon Smolik on the field together. Smolik was used as a runner in the game, allowing Penn State to bring back more of the versatility the offense has needed.
It’s unclear if the personnel grouping was previously left out of the offense because Drew Allar was the starter or because former head coach James Franklin didn’t want to use them. But it’s clear that they’ll be a part of the gameplan for the Nittany Lions moving forward.
RB Kaytron Allen increases distance between himself and Nick Singleton
It was becoming increasingly clear through six games who Penn State’s best running back was, but Saturday night may have sealed the deal. Kaytron Allen was dominant for the Nittany Lions, creating explosive plays and always falling forward to get extra yards on short gains.
He’s a decisive runner who can attack downhill and create yards after contact, and looks like the best player on the offense. Nick Singleton, meanwhile, has struggled all year with indecisiveness, and that continued against the Hawkeyes. And it showed on the stat sheet. Allen had more carries than Singleton (28 to 6) and finished with 145 yards on the ground to Singleton’s 15. Singleton can still help this offense, especially as a receiver, but it’s clear Allen should be the lead back moving forward and be the featured player in Penn State’s offense.
This story was originally published October 18, 2025 at 10:22 PM.
Jon Sauber
Centre Daily Times
Jon Sauber covers Penn State football and men’s basketball for the Centre Daily Times. He earned his B.A. in digital and print journalism from Penn State and his M.A. in sports journalism from IUPUI. His previous stops include jobs at The Indianapolis Star, the NCAA, and Rivals.
