Penn State football looked different on the sideline but heartbreakingly familiar on the scoreboard. In its first game under interim head coach Terry Smith, the Nittany Lions fell 25-24 to Iowa, their fourth straight defeat in a season that has unraveled faster than anyone in Happy Valley could have imagined.
Smith, the longtime assistant elevated after Penn State fired James Franklin, watched his team lose a fourth-quarter lead as Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns, including a 67-yard burst that set up the go-ahead score. Despite another painful ending, Smith left the field proud of his team’s fight.
“I don’t think anyone in that stadium would say they didn’t see the toughness and grit I asked for,” Smith said. “Our guys played hard. They gave everything. There was no one that didn’t give great effort. We just have to execute better. That’s my job to get it fixed.”
Terry Smith is trying to lead Penn State past the James Franklin era
Penn State’s effort was undeniable. Running back Kaytron Allen rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns, while redshirt freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer managed a raucous environment in his first collegiate start. The Nittany Lions also produced a first-half highlight when Xavier Gilliam blocked a 66-yard field goal attempt, leading to a touchdown return that gave them a halftime lead.
But Smith was direct about what went wrong. “It’s very disappointing the way we lost,” he said. “All three areas need improvement. We continue to have problems handling punts and kicks, we struggle throwing down the field, and we can’t get stops when we need them.”
Smith’s challenge now is to steady a program that once sat at No. 2 in the nation and is 0-4 in Big Ten play for the fourth time since joining the conference.
Still, the former Penn State receiver said the pride he felt in the locker room outweighed the sting of the loss. “We showed grit and unity,” Smith said. “If we lose, it’s going to be because the other team was better. Every Penn Stater should be proud of how we fought.”
