IOWA (2-3, 0-2) VS. PENN STATE (3-2, 0-2) Prediction: Penn State 21, Iowa 10 When: 3:30 p.m. today Where: Beaver Stadium, University Park TV/radio: ABC/Penn State Radio Network Series record: Penn State leads, 10-9

THE SETUP With zero Big Ten wins between them, both Penn State and Iowa are desperate for a conference win, not to mention a victory of any sort to end losing streaks. The drought has reached two games for Penn State and three for Iowa.

THE MATCHUP The smell of despair will compete with the more pleasing aroma of pregame cookouts today around Beaver Stadium. Penn State has lost consecutive games for the first time since 2004, and Joe Paterno has spent the past week on defending his offense, his defense, even the Lions’ special teams play. Forgotten is the 3-0 start and Top 10 ranking of earlier this season. Simply put, the Penn State season has reached a critical juncture. If the Lions can’t beat Iowa and its injury-depleted receiver corps — wide receiver Andy Brodell was lost for the season and tight end Tony Moeaki went down for at least a month, both vs. Wisconsin — prospects for the remainder of the season are bleak.On the other hand, a win here and an upset of Wisconsin next Saturday would put the Lions back in the hunt for a New Year’s Day bowl. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is on the defensive, too, having been asked at his weekly news conference “Is it fair to call the program unstable right now?” Replied Ferentz: “Call it whatever you want.”

BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL Penn State Looking for a bright spot• At least the players didn’t have to clean Beaver Stadium after the back-to-back losses of the previous two weeks, both of which were on the road. The Lions are back home today, and that early Sunday wakeup call for the bus ride and clean-up duty will be particularly harsh if the offense doesn’t find a way to hold on to the football and score more, and the defense doesn’t rediscover its formerly dominating ways. By the numbers Anthony Morelli: 91-of-156 passing, 1,095 yards, 9 TDs, 4 INTs Sean Lee: 52 tackles, 5 for loss Derrick Williams: 19 catches, 166 yards, 1 TD Iowa Iowa’s three-game slide began with a 15-13 loss to in-state rival Iowa State and continued with a tough 17-13 defeat at unbeaten Wisconsin, and a 38-20 humbling last week at home by Indiana. Quarterback Jake Christensen, a redshirt sophomore, threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns against Indiana, but said of his day, “My performance was not good enough to win.” He was sacked nine times. By the numbers Albert Young: 73 carries, 356 yards, 1 TD Jake Christensen: 88-of-163 passing, 1,066 yards, 9 TDs, 2 INTs Mitch King: 32 tackles, 8 for loss

NEXT GAME Oct. 13 — Wisconsin at Penn State, 3:30 p.m.

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