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IOWA CITY - The post-James Franklin era began the way it ended.
Penn State fell to Iowa, 25-24, Saturday night at Kinnick Stadium and extended the Nittany Lions' losing streak to four games.
It was their first game under interim head coach Terry Smith, who took over for Franklin following the 12-year coach’s dismissal last Sunday.
PSU is now 3-4 on the season. Iowa improved to 5-2.
Penn State led 24-19 with 4:56 remaining, but the Lions' defense collapsed. It allowed Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski to burst 67 yards to the PSU 8, and Kaden Wetjen finished it off with an 8-yard run, putting the Hawkeyes up 25-24 after a failed 2-point conversion.
Gronowski rushed for 130 yards on nine carries.
A lackluster first half ended with an exclamation point.
With six seconds remaining and Iowa up 10-7, the Hawkeyes surprisingly lined up to try a 66-yard field goal. But Penn State's Xavier Gilliam blocked it, and Elliot Washington returned it 35 yards for a touchdown as time expired, putting the Lions up 14-10.
The TD seemed to spark PSU as it opened the second half with sustained vigor, moving 75 yards on 10 plays. The key plays were a 30-yard run by Kaytron Allen, Ethan Grunkemeyer's 11-yard third-down completion to Devonte Ross, and Ross drawing a pass interference penalty on another third down.
Allen's 8-yard touchdown pushed the Nits' last to 21-10 with 9:25 left in the third quarter.
Iowa, however, answered with a touchdown drive of its own, going 74 yards in eight plays, capped by Gronowski's 4-yard bootleg around left end.
The 2-point conversion pass failed, keeping the Nits' lead at 21-16 with 4:19 left in the third period.
After the Lions were stopped on fourth-and-1 from their own 40 - when they tried to run tight end Luke Reynolds - Iowa cut the lead to 21-19 with 13:17 remaining on Drew Stevens' 31-yard field goal.
Penn State took an early 7-0 lead on Kayton Allen's 1-yard plunge following Zakee Wheatley's interception on Iowa's first possession. The Nits took 10 plays to cover the 35 yards but converted a pair of fourth downs, including Allen's TD, to do it.
Iowa cut the deficit to 7-3 on Stevens' 39-yard field goal with 4:24 left in the first quarter. Stevens missed a 46-yarder later in the first quarter.
The Hawkeyes' Xavier Nwankpa returned a Grunkemeyer interception 28 yards to the Penn State 1 and took a 10-7 lead on Gronowski's 1-yard keeper with 1:14 left in the first half.
Allen led the Penn State offense, rushing for 145 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns.
Grunkemeyer, making his first career start in place of the injured Drew Allar, completed 15-of-28 for 93 yards. He was intercepted twice.
The Nittany Lions are idle next Saturday before visiting No. 1 Ohio State on Nov. 1. The Hawks host Minnesota on Oct. 25.
The Mirror will have full coverage in Monday’s Penn State Extra.