2009 Iowa at Penn State Point Spread Odds & Matchup Report

Last Updated on September 22, 2009 8:37 pm by drew

Iowa-Penn State Odds

State College,
PA – Penn State had established itself as a national title contender when it carried an unbeaten record into its meeting with Iowa late last season.

But it’s been more difficult to get a read on coach Joe Paterno’s unblemished yet untested Nittany Lions in 2009.

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The Nittany Lions’ motivation, however, will be hard to miss.

A loss to the Hawkeyes spoiled

Penn
State‘s otherwise perfect regular season in 2008, and the fifth-ranked Nittany Lions will have revenge on their minds Saturday night in front of a frenzied Beaver Stadium crowd.

Oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL have made
Penn
State -10 point spread favorites (View College Football odds) for Saturday’s game (Game Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 51% of bets for this game have been placed on
Iowa +10 (View College Football bet percentages).

Penn
State (3-0) was among the Big Ten’s preseason favorites after claiming its second conference championship in four years last fall, but Paterno’s team saw its national championship dreams end on a windy afternoon in

Iowa City.

The Nittany Lions came in 9-0 and ranked third in the nation on Nov. 8, but couldn’t hold on to a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium. All-conference quarterback Daryll Clark threw for 86 yards and a late interception in his worst game of the season, and

Iowa emerged with a 24-23 win after Daniel Murphy kicked a 31-yard field goal with a second left.

Iowa (3-0) hasn’t lost since, winning seven straight by nearly 18.0 points per game. Awaiting the Hawkeyes’ return trip to
State College, though, will be a stadium-wide "Whiteout" among the 110,000 fans at Beaver Stadium.

"I don’t know what revenge has got to do with it in football," Paterno said. "It’s not like they sneaked up on us and stuck us in the back with a knife or something. They played a good football game and they beat us."

Iowa defensive tackle Karl Klug, however, figures

Penn
State may be interested in some payback, particularly considering the Nittany Lions have lost six of their last seven to the Hawkeyes.

"Oh yeah, they are going to (want) some revenge on us," Klug said. "We are going to have to bring our ‘A’ game."

Clark bounced back by throwing for an average of 284.7 yards in the Nittany Lions’ final three games – including a 38-24 Rose Bowl loss to
Southern California – and tossing eight touchdown passes and three interceptions.

He’s matched those totals exactly in

Penn
State‘s three non-conference wins to open 2009 while throwing for 253.3 yards.

After Clark carried the offense in wins over
Akron and
Syracuse, the Nittany Lions got their running game going Saturday against

Temple. Clark threw for 167 yards and a score, but Evan Royster’s 134 yards led an improved rushing effort in

Penn
State‘s 31-6 win.

"I just think we were a little tougher across the line of scrimmage,” Paterno said. "… We played with a little more bounce.”

The Nittany Lions have outscored their three opponents 90-20, though
Akron,
Syracuse and

Temple are a combined 2-6. Perhaps of more concern than their easy schedule or an inexperienced offensive line, however, is the health of their two star linebackers.

Sean Lee missed the entire 2008 season with a right knee injury, but was named the Big Ten’s defensive player of the week after recording 12 tackles and a sack against the Owls. But Lee left in the second half with a sprained left knee, and watched practice Tuesday without pads.

Navorro Bowman, who tied a team high with eight tackles and recovered a fumble in the loss to the Hawkeyes a year ago, hasn’t played since the opener due to a groin injury. Bowman returned to practice Tuesday and was able to push off his right leg.

Lee and Bowman are both listed as possible on the depth chart.

"I don’t really know whether (we’ll) have either one of them,” Paterno said. "You keep your fingers crossed that you’ll have one or both of them.”

Iowa, on the other hand, is banged up on offense. Left tackle Bryan Bulaga missed the past two games with an undisclosed ailment, while tight end Tony Moeaki (sprained ankle) and receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos (hamstring) have also been left off coach Kirk Ferentz’s depth chart.

Johnson-Koulianos’ absence could be critical, as he had seven catches for 89 yards and a touchdown in Iowa’s upset of Penn State last season. Quarterback Ricky Stanzi, however, has found some other weapons.

Both senior Trey Stross and sophomore Marvin McNutt are averaging more than 15 yards per catch, but perhaps the most significant development for

Iowa has been finding a running game. With Shonn Greene gone to the NFL and sophomore Jewel Hampton out for the season with a knee injury, the Hawkeyes struggled to run the ball in an ugly 17-16 season-opening win over
Northern Iowa.

Freshman Brandon Wegher gained 101 yards in a 35-3 victory at
Iowa
State on Sept. 12, though, and redshirt freshman Adam Robinson equaled that last Saturday – also scoring twice – in a 27-17 win over

Arizona.

"We have two guys that really haven’t played very much, and I think probably what we saw with Adam today, he’s benefiting from the experience a little bit," Ferentz said. "He’s gaining ground (on

Brandon) right now."

Penn
State‘s 27-7 home win over

Iowa on Oct. 6, 2007, snapped a four-game losing streak against the Hawkeyes at Beaver Stadium.

The Nittany Lions have won 24 straight home games against unranked opponents by an average of 26.4 points.

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Posted: 9/22/09 8:37PM ET