Happy gameday, folks!

Penn State enters its first game of the post-James Franklin and Drew Allar era in a night game at Kinnick Stadium against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Interim head coach Terry Smith and new QB1 Ethan Grunkemeyer will look to right the ship and give the Nittany Lions a jolt of energy heading into Penn State’s second bye week.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Penn State’s week eight matchup in Iowa City.

Television

Peacock will exclusively stream the game with Paul Burmeister on play-by-play, Michael Robinson on color commentary, and Caroline Pineda reporting from the sidelines. It’s Penn State’s second time exclusively on Peacock after last season’s White Out win over Washington. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.

Radio

Penn State Sports Network – Steve Jones, Jack Ham, and Brian Tripp
Local: 99.5 & 103.7 FM / 1450 AM, Sirius XM: 197/388

Weather

Saturday evening in Iowa City will have a 100% cloud cover and 51° temperature with a RealFeel of 41°, according to AccuWeather. There is a 51% chance of precipitation and wind gusts will be up to 31 mph.

Injuries

Penn State had 15 players out for its matchup against Northwestern. Kaden Saunders, Josiah Brown, Peter Gonzalez, Bekkem Kritza, Max Granville, Mason Robinson, Kaleb Artis, Jordan Mayer, Brady O’Hara, Liam Horan, J’ven Williams, Cooper Cousins, Donte Nastasi, Lamont Payne Jr., Zion Tracy, Kari Jackson, Tony Rojas, and Cam Wallace all missed the game against the Wildcats.

Starting quarterback Drew Allar suffered a season-ending injury against Northwestern.

Series History

Penn State holds an 18-14 series lead over Iowa. The Nittany Lions took the most recent matchup between the two squads in a dominant 31-0 White Out win in 2023. Penn State rushed for 215 yards in that game.

Before that, though, Iowa took back-to-back matchups in 2020 and 2021. Penn State holds a 10-6 series lead when the two programs meet in Iowa City.

Betting Lines

The Nittany Lions are underdogs for the first time in 2025. Iowa is favored by three points. The over/under is set at 40.5 points, according to DraftKings.

Media Coverage

Onward State will have you covered throughout today’s game. Find big plays, analysis, photos, and more on our main Twitter account @OnwardState as well as play-by-play commentary from @OnwardStSports.

Football writers Cooper Cazares (@CooperCazares), Collin Ward (@wardcollinz), and Oscar Orellana (@__oscarorellana) will provide you with coverage from inside the press box. Photographer Ericka Apolskis (@ericka_apolskis) will provide visual updates from the field.

Onward State

• Previewing The Enemy: Iowa
• No More Time 2 Celebrate Birthdays: Penn State Football Overtakes James Franklin’s Tradition
• Staff Predictions: Penn State vs. Iowa
• Penn State Football’s Ethan Grunkemeyer Set To Make His First Career Start Against Iowa
• Penn State Football Head Coach Candidate Deep Dive: Joe Brady
• Four-Star Quarterback Troy Huhn Decommits From Penn State Football
• Report: Penn State Football Quarterback Drew Allar Undergoes Successful Surgery On Broken Left Ankle
• James Franklin Set To Appear On College GameDay On Saturday For Exclusive Interview
• Penn State Football Players Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zane Durant, & Vega Ioane Make Midseason Lombardi Award Watch List
• Penn State Football Embracing Emotions Ahead Of Iowa Matchup
• Penn State Football Slight Underdogs Against Iowa In Week Eight
• Penn State Football Head Coach Candidate Deep Dive: Eli Drinkwitz
• Penn State Football Center Nick Dawkins Named Award Semifinalist
• Potential Landing Spots For James Franklin
• Dom DeLuca & Devonte Ross Reflect On James Franklin Recruiting Experiences
• What The World Looked Like The Last Time James Franklin Wasn’t Head Coach
• Penn State Football Head Coach Candidate Deep Dive: Matt Rhule
• Penn State Football Rallying Around Ethan Grunkemeyer
• ‘Bye Bye Bye’, James Franklin: Relating Song Lyrics To James Franklin’s Termination
• Compiling The Best ‘James Franklin and Drew Allar Era’ TikToks
• [Photo Story] A Look Back At James Franklin’s Penn State Football Career
• ‘It’s An Overwhelming Sense Of Guilt’: Nick Dawkins Reflects On James Franklin Exit
• Reliving James Franklin’s Tenure As Penn State Football’s Head Coach
• Three-Star Cornerback Jaziel Hart Decommits From Penn State Football
• Penn State Fans, Please Respect Drew Allar
• Penn State Football Head Coach Candidate Deep Dive: Curt Cignetti
• Crowdsource: We Want To Hear Your Favorite James Franklin Stories
• Penn State Football Hot Takes Post-Northwestern
• Social Media Reacts To James Franklin’s Firing
• The Burden Of Promise: Looking Back On The Drew Allar Era
• News & Notes From Penn State Football Interim Head Coach Terry Smith’s First Press Conference
• News & Notes From Penn State Football’s Press Conference After James Franklin’s Firing
• Class Of 2026 Four-Star Wide Receiver Davion Brown Decommits From Penn State Football
• Jordan Lucas Elevated To Penn State Football Cornerbacks Coach
• Penn State Football’s Post-Northwestern Report Card
• Transfer Portal Roundup: Week Seven
• Penn State Players React To James Franklin’s Firing
• Class Of 2026 Three-Star Wide Receiver Lavar Keys Decommits From Penn State Football
• Class Of 2027 Five-Star Running Back Kemon Spell Decommits From Penn State Football
• Class Of 2027 Five-Star Offensive Tackle Layton Von Brandt Decommits From Penn State Football
• Class Of 2027 Four-Star Defensive Back Gabriel Jenkins Decommits From Penn State Football
• Terry Smith Named Penn State Football Interim Head Coach
• James Franklin Fired As Penn State Football Head Coach
• Ethan Grunkemeyer: Penn State Football’s Future Under Center
• What’s Next For Penn State Football Following Third-Straight Loss?
• It’s Time to Move On: James Franklin’s Era At Penn State Has Run Its Course
• Penn State Football Quarterback Drew Allar Out For Season
• Penn State Football Falls To Northwestern 22-21
• 15 Players Out For Penn State Football Against Northwestern
• Gameday Coverage: Penn State vs. Northwestern