The numbers:

maypp: Penn State: 3.06; Iowa: 0.82
spr: Penn State: 40.8%; Iowa: 24.2%
npp: Penn State: 24.5%; Iowa: 57.6%

The offense played well, considering the opponent. 3.06 maypp and +16.3 spr-npp against this Iowa defense is no joke. There aren't 10 teams in the country capable of doing that. Opponents were averaging 2.37 maypp against Iowa and an npp > spr.

But it's not explosive.

Thing is, I don't think it was trying to be. Penn State averaged under 4 ypc and under 6 yards per attempt passing. Normally, that means a maypp approaching 2, an npp approaching 40%, and an spr under 35%.

This most definitely wasn't that. Penn State knew they could get 3-4 yards basically at will and took it. All. Game. Long. And. You. Can't. Stop. It. lol. Take. Your. Medicine. Iowa.

Penn State had a lot of 3-4 yard plays that weren't technically "successful" (getting at least 50% of the yardage for a first down on first or second down or converting on 3rd and 4th), but I don't think Franklin and Yurcich really cared about my definition of successful. Because they knew they could just get it basically at will.

And they did.

The defense was absolutely lights out. Coming into this game, Iowa was unquestionably the worst offense in the B1G in these stats and among the worst among P5 teams, but those numbers are still just gross. Iowa was averaging a maypp of 2.30 and was noise away from spr = npp. That's bad, but (1) they were legitimately decent when they had to be in their first 3 games; I still don't think those numbers really aren't indicative and (2) even if it was indicative, Penn State's defense was still incredible.

Penn State came into this game with the intention to slowly but surely liquefy Iowa with low heat and that's what they did.

: