No. 3 Penn State faces final road game at Iowa

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -When No. 3 Penn State views Iowa on film, the Nittany Lions might think they're looking in a mirror.

Well, maybe a poorly lit one.

The Nittany Lions and Hawkeyes, who meet Saturday in Penn State's final road game, share a similar roadmap to success: run the ball, play strong defense and control the clock.

Penn State (9-0, 5-0 Big Ten) is just doing it better than Iowa - or anyone else, for that matter.

The Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten in rushing offense and scoring defense, ranking fourth nationally at just 11.1 points allowed per game. The Hawkeyes (5-4, 2-3), losers of four games by a total of 12 points, feature the nation's third-leading rusher in Shonn Greene and rank seventh in the country at 13.2 points allowed per game.

Throw in a forecast of cold and windy conditions for Iowa City and it has all the makings of a classic Big Ten tussle - one where style points might be hard to come by.

"How the Iowa game is going to turn out, I don't know," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. "But if you think I'm looking back and saying, 'Well, gee, holy smokes, we didn't score 50 points,' you're nuts."'

For Penn State, all the talk this week was about how No. 2 Texas Tech jumped them in the Bowl Championship Series rankings, setting up a possible scenario in which the unbeaten Nittany Lions get shut out of the national championship yet again.

But remember, Penn State has to keep winning before they can even worry about it. This week Paterno avoided the issue, choosing instead to focus on the task at hand.

"I haven't got the slightest idea what the BCS - is it the BCS or the BSC? I don't know," Paterno said. "I'm telling you what I'm concerned about. I'm concerned about Iowa. Period."

The Nittany Lions should benefit from the extra week of rest after the Ohio State game, a bruising affair that saw quarterback Daryll Clark get knocked out with a mild concussion. Clark practiced this week, and Paterno expects him to be ready for this weekend.

In the eyes of Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, Clark's ascension from backup to Maxwell Award semifinalist has been the difference-maker for Penn State.

Ferentz figured the Nittany Lions would be a handful this year if they got strong play from their quarterback. Clark has come through, leading Penn State to its best start since 1999 - a big reason why Ferentz believes this Nittany Lions team is better than the '99 edition, which won in Iowa City 31-7.