STATE COLLEGE, Pa. _ All week, Penn State coach James Franklin had warned the Nittany Lions not to get all caught up in the headlines over their College Football Playoff ranking and deliver their full focus to Iowa, winner of nine straight road games and a team that has been successful at Beaver Stadium.
But when you have Saquon Barkley on your team, fears of a letdown rarely come into play.
Barkley rushed for 167 yards in 20 carries, scored one touchdown on a 57-yard run and another on a 44-yard pass from Trace McSorley, and the 20th-ranked Lions defeated the Hawkeyes, 41-14, for their fifth consecutive victory before a crowd of 106,194.
The Lions (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten), who were ranked 12th in the initial CFP poll, rolled to 599 yards of total offense _ their third 500-yard performance in their last four games. Barkley's output enabled him to pass the 1,000-yard plateau for the second straight year; he finished the game with 1,055 yards.
McSorley completed 11 of 18 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed 14 times for 40 yards and a score. Backup quarterback Tommy Stevens even got into the act, lining up in the slot, going in motion and scoring on a 13-yard jet sweep for the team's final touchdown.
Iowa (5-4, 3-3), which had won four of its last six games at Beaver Stadium, scored in the second quarter on a 12-yard pass from C.J. Beathard to Akrum Wadley but did not score again until Beathard connected with Jerminic Smith on a 36-yard TD with 6:30 to play.
The Nittany Lions rolled up 348 yards of total offense in the first half alone in taking a 24-7 lead at intermission. Barkley raced 57 yards for a touchdown while picking up 116 yards in 12 carries.
McSorley threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Saeed Blacknall and ran in from a yard out. Tyler Davis, who had a 30-yard field-goal attempt blocked in the first quarter, closed the half with a successful 30-yarder, his first of two on the night, to account for the 17-point halftime advantage.
Davis added a 37-yard field goal in the third quarter. An interception by safety Troy Apke put Penn State in business at the Iowa 44 and on the first play, McSorley found Barkley speeding down the right sideline. Barkley caught the pass at the 20 and outraced linebacker Bo Bower to the end zone.
For the third time in their last four games, the Nittany Lions scored on their first drive of the game, with a 48-yard return of the opening kickoff by freshman Miles Sanders setting the tempo. McSorley ran for 14 yards on third down to move the football to the Iowa 19 and then, on the next play, threw a 19-yard pass in the back of the end zone that Blacknall caught for the touchdown.
Penn State opened its next possession with a 45-yard pass from McSorley to Chris Godwin but the drive went for naught when linebacker Josey Jewell blocked Davis' 30-yard field-goal attempt.
The Lions drove 80 yards for their next touchdown early in the second quarter with Barkley taking care of most of that distance. On the sixth play of the possession, Barkley took a handoff around the left edge, picked up a block from wide receiver Irvin Charles and weaved his way through the secondary for the 57-yard touchdown.
Iowa went three plays and punted, and the Lions promptly marched 62 yards to their next touchdown. They almost scored it on McSorley's pass to the 20 to a wide-open Mike Gesicki, who was tripped up inside the 5 and was credited with a touchdown, but a review placed the ball at the 1. McSorley ran in off left tackle on the next play to make it 21-0.
The Hawkeyes, who had been outgained 285-52 to that point in the game, finally got their offense untracked with the help of Beathard's 27-yard pass to Smith. Iowa successfully executed two screen passes on the drive, including a 12-yard connection from Beathard to Wadley for the touchdown.
