Penn State's Jordan Hill, Kyle Carter win awards for performance vs. Iowa

The Penn State Nittany Lions are playing extremely well as of late, beating the Iowa Hawkeyes 38-14 at Kinnick Stadium Saturday on the road to run their record to 5-2.

With the team performing well, a few individuals to receive recognition this week were defensive tackle Jordan Hill, winner of the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, and tight end Kyle Carter, who took home the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award, according to Ben Jones.

Carter, a Delaware native, led the team in receiving with six catches and 85 yards on the evening. The freshman had as many as six receptions just once before, nabbing a half-dozen against the Ohio Bobcats in the season opener.

Hill was also a force, totaling nine tackles (seven solo) and a sack in Penn State's victory over the Hawkeyes. A senior, Hill has proven to be one of the more reliable players for head coach Bill O'Brien and his staff.

Penn State vs. Iowa 2012: Nittany Lions put together impressive performance

The Penn St. Nittany Lions football program put together a solid performance on Saturday, defeating host Iowa Hawkeyes, 38-14, in a Big Ten Conference game. The Nittany Lions (5-2, 3-0 Big Ten) used a 103-yard, three-touchdown performance from sophomore running back Bill Belton to remain unbeaten in league play. Quarterback Matt McGloin finished 26-for-38 with 289 passing yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The victory was Penn State's fifth straight, however, according to the SB Nation blog Black Shoes Diaries the Nittany Lions could have won by more.

While you revel in a 38-14 win, I'll be annoyed it wasn't 52-7.

The settle-for-nothing-more-than-perfection attitude comes from Nittany Lions head coach Bill O'Brien, who wasn't pleased with his team's first-half performance, despite being ahead 24-0.

When he was interviewed coming out of the tunnel at halftime, O'Brien told the Big Ten Network sideline reporter that he considered it 0-0, that Penn State had left too many points on the board. He wasn't resting on the 24-0 lead his team had built up in the first half. He, like me, knew it should have been more.

To read Black Shoes' full recap of Saturday's game click here.

Penn State's next game will be Saturday against the visiting Ohio State Buckeyes. The contest is schedule to start at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Penn State vs. Iowa final score: Nittany Lions win 38-14

Even though they made some relatively meaningless mistakes late in the game, the Penn State Nittany Lions still had little trouble in beating the Iowa Hawkeyes 38-14 on Saturday night. With a dominant run defense leading the way, Penn State shut down the Iowa offense for the vast majority of the game before allowing a late score.

One of the weaker offenses in the nation, Iowa could muster just 209 total yards, 14 first downs and one touchdown against the Penn State defense. The Hawkeyes' first score actually came on special teams when Sam Ficken returned a kickoff for a touchdown after the Nittany Lions took a 38-0 lead in the fourth quarter.

Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin had another strong game for the team, completing 26-of-38 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns. Starting running back Bill Belton contributed 103 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries, as well.

While the Hawkeyes have really struggled to pass the ball this year, they've occasionally had some success on the ground. That wasn't the case on Saturday, as the Nittany Lions held Iowa to just 20 yards on 23 carries, an average of 0.8 yards per carry.

Box Score Hero: McGloin and Belton are the big two offensive performers from the game, but Penn State's Kyle Carter (six catches, 85 yards) and Iowa's Keenan Davis (four catches, 83 yards, 1 touchdown) both had solid receiving numbers on the night.

Rankings Ramifications: While Penn State isn't eligible for the USA Today Coaches' Poll, it will eventually start to garner some attention from AP Poll voters if it continues to beat Big Ten opponents. Even in a down year for the conference, the Nittany Lions have had solid victories over Illinois, then-No. 24 Northwestern and now Iowa this month.

But Did They Cover? The Hawkeyes were favored by 1.5 points, so they didn't cover.

For More On This Game: For more on Nittany Lions football, visit Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries, plus Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire, SB Nation Pittsburgh and SB Nation Philly. For more on Hawkeyes football, visit Iowa blog Black Heart Gold Pants, plus Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire.

Next Week's Schedule: In a match-up of marquee programs currently under the NCAA's thumb, the Nittany Lions take on the Ohio State Buckeyes next week. The Hawkeyes head to Evanston, Ill. to take on the Northwestern Wildcats.

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Penn State vs. Iowa score: Nittany Lions crushing Hawkeyes 31-0 after three quarters

The Penn St. Nittany Lions are in the midst of the 31-0 blowout of the Iowa Hawkeyes going into the fourth quarter on Saturday night. One of the nation's better defenses, Bill O'Brien's unit has shut down the Iowa offense through the first three quarters.

While the Hawkeyes admittedly have one of the weakest offenses in the nation -- they're ranked 98th nationally in scoring entering this week's game -- Penn State's defensive effort is still rather impressive. Iowa has accumulated just 142 total yards and nine first downs so far.

Quarterback Matt McGloin has led the Penn State offense with 272 yards and two touchdowns through the air, including six passes for 85 yards to receiver Kyle Carter. Running back Bill Belton has carred the ball 12 times for 83 yards and two touchdowns, as well.

With a victory, Penn State would improve to 3-0 against Big Ten opponents this season. They've outscored conference opponents, 105-35, over the first three games of the schedule.

Penn State vs. Iowa score: Nittany Lions expand lead to 24-0 at halftime

After another dominant quarter, the Penn State Nittany Lions are leading 24-0 over the Iowa Hawkeyes going into halftime on Saturday night. The Nittany Lions offense added to its score total in the second quarter after a pair of early touchdowns, but it's the defense that's dominated the game so far.

The 14th-best scoring defense in the nation entering Saturday's game, the Nittany Lions have held Iowa to 94 passing yards, seven rushing yards and just five first downs during the first half, plus they forced a fumble that led to an easy touchdown.

Matt McGloin continues to play well for the Nittany Lions this season, throwing for 198 yards and two touchdowns in a quality first-half effort. Running back Bill Belton also played quite well, rushing for 67 yards and a touchdown on just eight carries to lead the rush attack.

Penn State vs. Iowa score: Nittany Lions lead 14-0 after first quarter

Looking to stay unbeaten in conference play, the Penn State Nittany Lions are leading 14-0 over the Iowa Hawkeyes entering the second quarter on Saturday night. The typically modest Penn State offense has looked particularly explosive against the Hawkeyes so far, more than doubling Iowa's total yardage output.

Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin has put up big numbers early, completing 8 of 12 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns, leading the offense on a pair of lengthy drives. The rushing offense has also been efficient, covering 45 yards on nine carries thus far.

The Nittany Lions have held Iowa to just 66 total yards, stifling the Hawkeyes offense both through the air and on the ground. Quarterback James Vandenberg has completed 4 of 8 passes for 46 yards, while the team is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry on the ground.

Penn State is looking for its fifth straight victory since beginning the season 0-2.

Penn State vs. Iowa: Nittany Lions Look To Push The Pace

Penn State and Iowa will meet in a battle of Big Ten unbeatens on Saturday night in Iowa City, each looking to stay atop their respective divisions.

The Nittany Lions are coming off a bye and beat Northwestern 39-28 at Beaver Stadium last time out on the strength of a 22-point fourth quarter rally. After two losses to open the Bill O'Brien era, Penn State has reeled off four-straight victories and will look to keep the momentum going against Iowa.

The Hawkeyes, however, have their own head of steam after earning a 19-16 double overtime win at Michigan State last week. At 2-0, Iowa sits atop the Legends Division standings with Michigan, meaning the 4-2 Hawkeyes still have a lot to play for.

Here are some keys to the game for Penn State.

When Penn State has the ball...

-Penn State players made it clear this week that they intend to push the pace on offense after using their "NASCAR" sets to fuel the comeback against the Wildcats. Crowd noise at a rowdy Kinnick Stadium could complicate the Lions' ability to do that effectively, but if they can, they'll likely keep a Hawks' defense conceding just 17.2 points per game guessing, so it's probably a solid strategy.

-Running back Bill Belton is, by all accounts, as healthy as he's been in weeks after injuring his ankle against Ohio in the opener. If he can get involved, especially in the short passing game, it could go a long way toward freeing up wide receiver Allen Robinson and tight end Kyle Carter, two guys Iowa is sure to key on defensively. Zach Zwinak has shown he can carry the load at running back in rushing for 100 yards in the last two games, but Belton brings an explosive dynamic to the table. It will be interesting to see how much Penn State tries to use it.

-Both teams have done a good job of taking care of the football this season so the turnover battle will be even more critical than normal. One lost fumble or interception either way could make the difference, so quarterback Matt McGloin and Co. need to make sure they're the ones that avoid the big mistake.

When Iowa has the ball...

-With Iowa running back Mark Weisman's health in doubt, Penn State's front seven will likely be spared his bruising rushes. The Lions need to take advantage of this by halting the Hawkeyes' ground attack early and forcing quarterback James Vandenberg to take the game to the air. Penn State flustered the senior signal-caller a lot last year as the Lions outscored Iowa 13-3, so getting after him again will give defensive coordinator Ted Roof's group a significant boost.

-Penn State committed a pair of catastrophic miscues against Northwestern, muffing a punt and giving up a punt return for a touchdown to the Wildcats' Venric Mark. The Lions likely won't get away with similar errors on the road in a tough environment, so they need to bring their A-game to Iowa City this time around.

Overall

Penn State has never had much success at Kinnick Stadium. It's one of the toughest venues in the Big Ten, and though the Lions looked good in the 35-7 win at Illinois a few weeks ago, it doesn't compare to Iowa City. The last game Penn State played in a truly difficult road environment at Virginia, it lost 17-16. The Lions will have to bring a much better effort to the table to get a win this time.

Penn State vs. Iowa 2012: Game time, TV schedule, odds and more

The Penn State Nittany Lions looks to stay perfect in the Big Ten as they head into Iowa.