Penn St. looks for answers vs. Iowa

Associated Press

STATE COLLEGE, Pa.

Prodding reporters and poking fun at himself, Joe Paterno sounded downright giddy Tuesday for someone trying to get Penn State ready to face its Big Ten nemesis.

Iowa is 8-1 against the Nittany Lions since 2000, including three straight wins, though Paterno, has chosen to focus on the positives so far this week. The Nittany Lions (4-1, 1-0) and their struggling offense return Saturday to Happy Valley for their conference home opener against the Hawkeyes.

“We’re in the middle of trying to do something special,” Paterno said, “and I think Iowa is the next step.”

Still, Penn State remains a high-profile target for opposing fans in part because of Paterno and the program’s storied tradition. So the Nittany Lions got an earful on the sideline from Hawkeyes faithful last year in Iowa City during Iowa’s 24-3 win.

“The Iowa crowd was a little bit more hostile,” middle linebacker Glenn Carson said. “I think it’s time we keep them a little bit more humble.”

To do that, Penn State will need a better outing from its two quarterback-offense, which struggled in the red zone last week.