Before even getting on a plane to State College, Pa., last week, the Iowa Hawkeyes heard their game with Penn State would be ugly.

They heard that the “White House” on display inside Beaver Stadium would be intense. Very few outside Iowa predicted the Hawkeyes would emerge victorious.

But for the second-straight year, Penn State fans watched the Hawkeyes hand the Nittany Lions their first defeat. This time around, the circumstances may have been greater.

Like the game at Kinnick Stadium last year, the Hawkeyes found themselves trailing by more than a touchdown in the game. But unlike that unforgettable upset in Iowa City, this one was decided much earlier and came on a bigger stage.

That “White House” of Penn State faithful went from erupting like a volcano when the Nittany Lions took their 7-0 lead in the first quarter to becoming as silent as a mime when the final whistle blew.

“It lets us know that when we really try, give effort, and fly around, there’s nothing we can’t do,” junior cornerback Amari Spievey said.

The significance of the victory in comparison with last year’s win seemed mixed. Some players, such as junior defensive tackle Karl Klug, described both victories as having a similar feel to them.

“I think they’re both meaningful,” he said. “Anytime you can beat a top-five team, they’re both important.”

Meanwhile, Hawkeyes such as junior wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos felt last weekend’s win in State College was more special.

“There’s definitely something about this one that I think it feels a little bit better,” he said. “We played as a unit, as a whole team. I think a lot of guys contributed and did a wonderful job.”

By leaving Beaver Stadium triumphantly, Iowa now enters the second-third of its season undefeated at 4-0 and ranked 13th nationally by the AP.

This weekend, the Hawkeyes have an opportunity to win their ninth-straight game — dating back to last season — when they host Arkansas State. The Red Wolves come into Kinnick Stadium with a 1-2 record after a heartbreaking 30-27 loss to Sun Belt Conference foe Troy last week in Jonesboro, Ark.

Sandwiched between Penn State and next week’s Homecoming contest against Michigan, fans may question this upcoming battle with Arkansas State as a possible “trap game.”

But even after a mammoth win such as the one last weekend, the Hawkeyes know there are places where they can get better.

“We just got to come to practice and be ready to play next week,” junior defensive tackle Christian Ballard said. “We can’t just have a big head and think we have arrived. We just got to keep on going.”