Key stats in Penn State's Week 8 loss to Iowa

While the Nittany Lions certainly were in their Week 8 matchup against the Iowa Hawkeyes until the end, they made too many critical mistakes in key situations that hampered their efforts. The stats reflect an uneven performance in several key areas, especially when it came to the pass game. Here are some of the key ones that defined the narrative of the game.

Mark Gronowski's rushing numbers: 9 carries, 130 yards, 2 TDs

The Nittany Lions run defense simply had no answer for the elusive Iowa QB. Whenever the Iowa offense needed key yards, Gronwoski was easily able to escape the pocket and deliver. In fact, it was his big 67 yard run on Iowa's final drive of the game that ultimately set up the game winning score. This continues Penn State's defensive woes, especially against mobile QBs.

2 interceptions thrown by Ethan Grunkemeyer

In his first ever start, Grunkemeyer never really looked comfortable, especially when Iowa sent as much pressure as they did. His two picks were ugly as he tried to escape the pocket and create on his own, but in all reality, there was nothing Grunkemeyer could have done better against such a spirited Iowa defense. They simply smothered him to the point of inept inefficiency.

3.3 yards per completion

This one speaks for itself. There were really no explosive plays to be had for Penn State through the air. Therefore, Grunkemeyer was resorted to trying to dink-and-dunk down the field.

Kaytron Allen: 28 carries, 145 yds, 2 TDs

Allen was the one true positive for the Nittany Lions today. He sparked an offense that mainly focused on the ground attack with Grunkemeyer struggling. If they want to pull off some upsets, they need to build around Allen offensively.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Key stats in Penn State's Week 8 loss to Iowa