X gon' give it to ya! Xavier Nwankpa had a stellar performance against Penn State

Excluding some of the tackling issues that have plagued the Iowa defense this season, the unit has been solid once again this year.

The defense started the season slow, with many questioning why they were not forcing any turnovers, but they stayed the course, and have kept Iowa in games all year.

The turnovers are now coming in bunches for the defense as they have racked up six turnovers in the last three games (five interceptions, one fumble).

The defense also held the high-powered Indiana offense to 20 points and nearly 200 yards under their season total, and did the same thing to Penn State's offense last weekend in the 25-24 win.

The Iowa defense held Penn State to 24 points (10 points under their season average), and limited them to 266 yards of total offense (89 yards under their season average), in a stellar all-around game.

A key part of the success for the Iowa defense was safety Xavier Nwankpa. Nwankpa had one of his best games in a Hawkeye uniform, and was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his performance.

Nwankpa racked up 10 tackles (seven solo), a forced fumble, and a critical interception that set Iowa up for a touchdown. His 10 tackles are a career hight.

He was also a part of the defense's success on Penn State's final offensive play as he forced an arrant throw by quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer.

Nwankpa pressured Grunkemeyer on a delayed blitz that caused him to throw into traffic and turn the ball over on downs.

Nwankpa had a lot of pressure to perform this season after failing to live up to the hype that comes with being a five-star recruit and one of the highest-graded prospects in Iowa Football history.

The move from strong safety to free safety this season has worked well for Nwankpa as he has tallied 22 tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception this season through seven games.