For most of the night, it seemed as though Iowa's offense would be unable to support another standout performance by the Hawkeyes' defense. Then, the fourth quarter started, and the tides turned.
No. 3 Iowa rallied late to outlast No. 4 Penn State, 23–20, to remain undefeated and seize control as the Big Ten's top-ranked team. The Hawkeyes finished the game with 13 unanswered points and forced four turnovers, knocking out Penn State starting quarterback Sean Clifford in the process.
Penn State was held scoreless on its last six possessions, including five in the fourth quarter.