No. 25 Iowa Holds Off Penn State 6-4

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Iowa held Penn State&#39;s offense scoreless, making Kyle Schlicher&#39;s two first-half field goals stand up for a 6-4 victory on Saturday.<br> <br> Iowa gave the Nittany Lions their final two points, conceding a safety instead of punting from its own end zone late in the fourth quarter. The strategy worked perfectly when the Hawkeyes intercepted Penn State for the fourth time.<br> <br> The Hawkeyes (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) went up 3-2 when Schlicher kicked a 27-yarder late in the first quarter to cap a 15-play drive. Sean Considine intercepted a pass by Zack Mills in the second quarter and returned it 53 yards to set up Schlicher&#39;s second field goal, also a 27-yarder, that made it 6-2 going into halftime.<br> <br> Iowa had just three first downs in the second half, both late in the fourth quarter and one was the result of a Penn State penalty. <br> <br> But despite the Hawkeyes&#39; offensive shortcomings, Penn State&#39;s offense was even worse. Twice in the second half, the Nittany Lions (2-5, 0-4) had a first down inside the Iowa 10, but failed to score - Robbie Gould missed 25-yard field goal wide left in the third quarter, and Antwan Allen intercepted a pass by Michael Robinson pass on the 1 in the fourth.<br> <br> That interception set up Penn State&#39;s final score, a safety that Iowa planned to give away. The Hawkeyes were also called for holding on the play that made it 6-4.<br> <br> Jovon Johnson intercepted Robinson on Penn State&#39;s next play from scrimmage. Then Robinson fumbled the ball away on the Nittany Lions&#39; last possession.<br> <br> Earlier this week, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz left the team to attend his father&#39;s funeral in Pittsburgh. John Ferentz died at 84 after a long illness. <br> <br> Iowa hadn&#39;t won a game scoring so few points since a 6-0 victory over Northwestern in 1957.<br> <br> It was Penn State&#39;s lowest scoring game since being shut out 20-0 by Michigan in 2001.<br> <br> The Nittany Lions took 2-0 lead on the first possession - Penn State&#39;s first lead in a Big Ten game this season - when the snap went over punter David Bradley&#39;s head and into the end zone. Bradley kicked the ball out the back of the end zone to score the safety.

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