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STATE COLLEGE — There was that look again. Saquon Barkley noticed it in the eyes of Iowa players in the fourth quarter on Saturday night. One that Penn State opponents had been sporting a lot in the past month.
“You can see in their demeanor when they don’t want to be there no more. When they don’t want to be on the field no more,” Barkley said. “When you got them. When you see that, you just can’t let them hang. You’ve got to take advantage of that and finish them.”
That’s putting it mildly.
Under the lights at Beaver Stadium, the Nittany Lions buried the Hawkeyes like they hadn’t since the days of Kerry and Ki-Jana — a 41-14 win that didn’t feel even that close.
The Lions more than backed up that surprising No. 12 ranking in the College Football Playoff poll, racking up 599 yards of offense — the program’s highest total in 20 years. The only reason it wasn’t 600 was because of kneeldowns to end the game.
Barkley remains at the center of it, despite having played just one snap in the fourth quarter in each of the last two weeks — games in which the Lions have scored 103 points.
Penn State’s standout sophomore is on a stretch not seen in Happy Valley since Larry Johnson’s Heisman finalist season in 2002.
The explosive tailback added 167 more yards on the ground — and finished with 211 total yards — against a stubborn Iowa defense that came into the night allowing less than 19 points per game and less than 380 total yards per game.
Barkley stole the show with a sensational 57-yard touchdown run that got things going in the second quarter and put it to bed with a too-easy 44-yard touchdown catch out of the backfield.
“When you’re gashing them and gashing them, that’s the mentality that (offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead) instills in us,” Barkley said. “To have that killer mentality and finish them.”
Barkley did just that, topping 1,000 rushing yards for the season and 2,000 for his career in the process.
Sparked by a 25-yard touchdown run in overtime that beat Minnesota back on Oct. 1, Barkley has proceeded to rip off 675 rushing yards and 768 all-purpose yards over the next four games.
Not coincidentally, the Lions have vaulted firmly onto the national scene with a five-game winning streak.
In what originally looked to be the toughest November matchup for the Lions (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten), Barkley once again had the play of the game.
With the Lions leading just 7-0 in the second quarter, Barkley got the call on third-and-5 from the Penn State 43-yard line.
Quarterback Trace McSorley handed it off to Barkley as Lake-Lehman’s Connor McGovern swiftly pulled from his right guard spot to seal the left edge.
That was just the beginning.
Barkley beat Iowa’s Brandon Snyder to the corner, leaving the safety flailing at him as he sped past. Wideout Irvin Charles tied up his man as Snyder managed to get a hand on Barkley.
Barkley kept his balance and was able to cut to his right, sending the other safety, Miles Taylor, to the ground as he tried to match the move.
Still 39 yards from the end zone, Barkley just needed one more chip by a hustling Charles, who got just enough of corner Desmond King for the play to go the distance.
The 57-yard score shook the press box at Beaver Stadium and the Lions never looked back.
Barkley at times even surprises his own coach.
“One play he got spun around and somehow he knew that the guy was going to tackle him from behind, low,” James Franklin said. “And he was going backwards and jumped up and avoided the guy. I don’t know if he’s looking at the Jumbotron.”
“I probably should be looking at it,” Barkley replied later.
“That one was special,” Franklin said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before — get knocked around backwards, the next guy comes to tackle you low. And he knows that the guy is doing that. He hurdles him backwards. Pretty good.”
Even more impressive is the fact that Barkley and the offense pulled it all off despite playing essentially the entire game without both starting tackles.
With Andrew Nelson already lost for the season with a knee injury, the Lions were also without the vastly improved Brendan Mahon, who has excelled at both left and right tackle this season.
Mahon lasted just one play on Saturday before heading to the sideline, where athletic trainers were taking a look at his foot. He ultimately left on a cart and did not return to the game.
That left the Lions with Paris Palmer on the left side and sophomore Chasz Wright on the right side. Though the vibe after the game was that Mahon’s injury was not severe, Franklin said it would still be wait-and-see if he can return for next week’s game at Indiana.
Somehow, the offense didn’t skip a beat.
Saeed Blacknall caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from McSorley on the game’s opening drive and McSorley took one in himself on a designed draw from the Iowa 1.
Penn State wrapped it up just two plays into the fourth when Troy Apke’s first career interception led to Barkley’s put-away score.
The Lions even squeezed some lemon juice in Iowa’s eyes by running a jet sweep to backup quarterback Tommy Stevens, who got his first career touchdown from 13 yards out, plowing through three defenders near the goal line.
“Certainly none of us were expecting this kind of game,” said Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, who lost his third straight to the Lions after opening his career 8-2 against them. “None of us are very happy about it, quite frankly. Nobody in our locker room.
“Credit goes to Penn State. They played a tremendous football game right from the start, and we weren’t capable of responding.”
No. 12 Penn State 41, Iowa 14
Iowa`0`7`0`7`—`14
Penn State`7`17`3`14`—`41
First Quarter
PSU — Saeed Blacknall 19 pass from Trace McSorley (Tyler Davis kick), 12:49
Second Quarter
PSU — Saquon Barkley 57 run (Davis kick), 10:28
PSU — McSorley 1 run (Davis kick), 8:15
UI — Akrum Wadley 12 pass from C.J. Beathard (Keith Duncan kick), 4:18
PSU — Davis 30 field goal, 0:00
Third Quarter
PSU — Davis 37 field goal, 2:48
Fourth Quarter
PSU — Barkley 44 pass from McSorley (Davis kick), 14:41
PSU — Tommy Stevens 13 run (Davis kick), 9:28
UI — Jerminic Smith 36 pass from Beathard (Duncan kick), 6:30
Team stats`UI`PSU
First downs`14`24
Rushes-yards`26-30`52-359
Passing`204`240
Comp-Att-Int`18-26-1`11-18-0
Return Yards`78`79
Punts-Avg.`6-39.83`2-40.5
Fumbles-Lost`0-0`0-0
Penalties-Yards`4-24`9-86
Time of Possession`24:57`35:03
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Iowa, Akrum Wadley 9-28, LeShun Daniels 10-18, C.J. Beathard 7-(minus 16). PSU, Saquon Barkley 20-167, Tommy Stevens 5-70, Trace McSorley 14-40, Miles Sanders 5-34, Mark Allen 5-30, Andre Robinson 3-18.
PASSING — Iowa, Beathard 18-26-1-204. PSU, McSorley 11-18-0-240.
RECEIVING — Iowa, Jerminic Smith 5-85, Wadley 5-32, Riley McCarron 4-42, Daniels 2-36, George Kittle 2-9. PSU, Chris Godwin 4-87, Mike Gesicki 4-65, Barkley 1-44, DeAndre Thompkins 1-25, Saeed Blacknall 1-19.
MISSED FIELD GOALS — PSU, Davis 30 (blocked).
A — 106,194.
