Gross-Matos paces 'gutsy' defensive effort against Iowa
It came down to the wire, again. For the fourth consecutive game, Penn State held an advantage going into the fourth quarter and each time that lead was tested.
On Saturday night against Iowa in Beaver Stadium, it was once again. But this time – like a week ago – the Nittany Lions found a way to escape. In order to do so, the defense halted two Hawkeye drives late in the game and found a way to come out on top, 30-24.
"It's great to win," said sophomore defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos. "I don't think it's the way we want to win, but to be able to close the game out with the defense on the field is a great feeling."
After falling twice in the final quarter earlier in the season to Ohio State and Michigan State, the Nittany Lions have now prevailed through late-game adversity in each of the last two weeks. The play of Gross-Matos has been one reason why.
Against the Hawkeyes, Gross-Matos finished with a total of nine tackles, seven of which were solo stops. Four of his tackles went for a loss, including two sacks. Now in the past two weeks Gross-Matos has combined for 19 total tackles, 14 of which have been solo, and four sacks. He now leads the team with a total of 6.0.
For Gross-Matos, the statistical production is just a by-product of the work he's put since he was green-lighted as a true freshman a year ago. It's been a gradual progression, and as he grows more comfortable with the defense, he's finding himself amid greater opportunities. Lining up opposite of proven veteran Shareef Miller, Gross-Matos is taking advantage of what chances come his way.
"I'm not surprised," he said. "A lot of my plays come from me running across the field to make a tackle [and] just playing with a lot of energy and effort."
And that can be contagious to his teammates. Although he and defensive tackle Robert Windsor were the only Lions to record a sack, Iowa QB Nate Stanley was routinely under pressure. PSU was credited with seven QB hurries and the secondary also intercepted two passes. The first, which came from cornerback John Reid in the second quarter, led to Penn State's tying touchdown in the second quarter. Then the second – from senior safety Nick Scott – thwarted a 12-play, 72-yard drive in the red zone with fewer than 4 minutes remaining in the game. Without the pick, Iowa had the chance for the go-ahead score.
With it, it sealed what turned out to be Stanley's worst game of his junior season. He hadn't thrown two INTs all year and his completion rate of 36.7 was 24.3 percentage points lower than his season average.
Teammates credited the disruption to the consistent pass rush from Gross-Matos and the rest of the defensive line.
"It makes the world a lot easier," said linebacker Cam Brown, who finished second on the team in solo tackles with five. "When you're dropping back in coverage and you snap your head back and see [the QB] going down like that, it makes it easier. The whole D-line is doing well at that and helping us out."
In addition to holding Stanley to season-lows in passing, Iowa's rushing attack was also held 40 yards below its season average.
Perhaps the most important stat of the afternoon, however, can be boiled down to touchdowns, or lack thereof. Iowa's offense failed to score a TD the entire game. Its first TD at the 5:22 mark of the first quarter came off a gadget play with FG personnel on the field on fourth-and-goal from the PSU 10-yard line. The Hawkeyes' other TD came from defensive back Geno Stone, when he intercepted a pass from quarterback Trace McSorley and returned it 24 yards for a score with 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
But when it came to Iowa's offense, it was held scoreless all night, especially when it mattered most late in the game. Head coach James Franklin labeled the effort as "gutsy" and his players agreed.
"I think we played really well," said Gross-Matos. "The offense didn't score a touchdown when the regular defense was out there at all today, so I think the defense played really well."