Ad Disclosure
James Franklin on Iowa: ‘By far the best front we have faced in two years’
Published:
Penn State’s offensive line better come ready to play next week against Iowa according to head coach James Franklin.
During his weekly press conference o Tuesday, Franklin had plenty of praise for Iowa, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. He claims the Hawkeyes have the best defensive line the Lions have seen in two years.
“By far the best front we have faced in two years,” Franklin said of the Hawkeyes’ front line. “Long, physical, stout. They make a lot of plays.”
Iowa has been sensational against the run this season. The Hawkeyes allow just 79.57 yards on the ground per game, tied for the second-best average in the nation. They’ve also surrendered just three rushing touchdowns, tied for the best in the country.
Last week, Iowa pitched a shutout in a 23-0 win over Maryland.
Franklin also compared A.J. Epenesa, Parker Hesse and Anthony Nelson to “Carl Nassib-like” players.
Along with those impressive numbers, Iowa’s defense is also top-ranked in the B1G in scoring defense, permitting just 14.1 points per game.
Penn State’s offense had trouble closing out games against Ohio State and Michigan State, translating to back-to-back losses. The Nittany Lions will have to find a formula to put points on the Hawkeyes on Saturday.
Last year, the two teams clashed at Kinnick Stadium, a game Penn State won on the final play on the contest.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB