Sports

By Derek Levarse dlevarse@timesleader.com
Sports Reporter
Derek Levarse on Facebook   |   TLdlevarse on Twitter

IOWA CITY, Iowa – “Uncanny” didn’t describe the feeling for the Penn State coaching staff. “Frightening” may be the better word.

The Nittany Lions’ stunning 24-23 loss to Iowa on Saturday night was hauntingly familiar for the program brass because they had watched a nearly identical scene play out nine years ago. The team and the venue had changed, but little else did.

Penn State’s 1999 team was 9-0 and ranked as high as No. 2 in the country. That all was done in by Minnesota, which hung around when the Lions couldn’t capitalize on several opportunities.

Minnesota trailed that game 23-21 late in the fourth quarter, and an improbable drive put the Gophers in position for a 32-yard field goal with time expiring. Then it was Dan Nystrom driving the ball through the uprights and the stake through Penn State’s heart.

Iowa trailed on Saturday 23-21 late in the fourth quarter and an improbable drive put the Hawkeyes in position for a 31-yard field goal with time expiring. Now it was Daniel Murray doing the honors.

And so another 9-0 season shockingly crumbled.

“Right now? No I can’t (sum up the disappointment),” Lions coach Joe Paterno said. “Not right now. ... We certainly had hopes, obviously, but I can’t do anything about that right now. The only thing I can get positive about is the next two games we play.”

On further review

Both sidelines were furious over two penalties in the fourth quarter.

Iowa’s winning drive was given new life early on when safety Anthony Scirrotto was flagged for pass interference on Trey Stross on a third-and-15 pass.

Scirrotto was behind the receiver and made an aggressive jump toward the ball, knocking it away. But he bumped Stross in the process just before the ball got there. It was a big first down for Iowa out to its 39-yard line en route to its winning field goal.

“You gotta get off the field,” defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said. “I thought we had them stopped. They got the big play on Scirrotto, which was killer. It’s a tough call there, but that happens.”

Penn State appeared to get the benefit of the doubt earlier in the fourth. Leading just 23-21, Penn State was forced to punt on a fourth-and-8 from its own 28 with seven minutes left.

An Iowa defender going for the block clipped Josh Boone’s kicking leg after the ball was in the air, and the officials called a 15-yard personal foul for roughing the kicker for an automatic first down.

Penn State ran nearly four more minutes off the clock before Iowa came up with an interception.

In the books

Deon Butler’s four catches gave him 168 on his career, breaking Penn State’s all-time record. The former walk-on defensive back now has more catches than Lions great Bobby Engram (167) for first place.

Kevin Kelly’s first of three field goals made him the Big Ten’s career leader. His 76 made field goals topped Ohio State’s Mike Nugent (73).

Scheming

Penn State unveiled a new wrinkle on offense, lining up Derrick Williams at quarterback in the shotgun. Williams took several snaps, often running it himself or handing it off. He scored Penn State’s final points -- a 9-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter -- out of the formation.

Williams, a former high school quarterback, also threw one pass, completing it to tight end Mickey Shuler for 23 yards.

On the offensive line, guards Rich Ohrnberger and Stefen Wisniewski flopped sides, primarily so the senior Ohrnberger could go up against Iowa’s All-Big Ten defensive tackle Mitch King.

“Wisniewski’s been banged up a little bit and Ohrnberger’s had more experience,” Paterno said. “We put him over on the right side because (King) played on the right side most of the time, and he had done a good job on him last year.”

Infirmary report

Senior defensive end Josh Gaines missed the fourth quarter with an injury to his left ankle. After the game Bradley said he wasn’t sure how serious it was, but that Gaines wasn’t able to put weight on it for awhile.