If it felt like Nick Niemann was everywhere it's because he was everywhere on Saturday afternoon. The Iowa linebacker piled up a career best 17 tackles, including 13 in the first half, in Iowa's one-sided win over Penn State. Following the victory, Niemann discussed his play in the game, the interception by Daviyon Nixon, and how this team has turned things around in the last three games.

Q: You had 13 tackles in the first half and 17 in the game. Is that one of the more active games you have had in your life.

NIEMANN: Yeah I think that’s the most I have had for sure.

Q: What led you to the ball so much? Was it their option game?

NIEMANN: Probably a combination of a lot of things. I think the defensive line played a big role in that. When you have guys up there doing their jobs and keeping the linemen off the linebackers, it’s easy for us to run free and make plays.

Q: You have probably seen Daviyon Nixon do some crazy things in the past in practice. What was it like seeing him do that in a game and do you have some other stories like that about him?

NIEMANN: I don’t know if you guys have until midnight because that’s how long it would take to tell those stories. That was a great play by him. I was kind of watching from the back and I saw him take off. He is one of the better athletes on our team and I wasn’t going to catch up to him. It was a great play and I am glad he made it. He always has a nose for the ball and making impact plays like that.

Q: You guys had ten tackles for loss and ten different guys that has a hand in them. What was it that allowed you guys to swarm to the ball behind the line of scrimmage?

NIEMANN: I think it was an effort by everyone and an urgency to get to the ball. That’s something we always try to do. I think it was guys being in their positions and following their assignments to where they need to be. If everyone is doing that then it makes it easy for everyone. It’s all of us playing together and making it easier for other guys to get to the ball.

Q: Penn State has put a lot of stress in the past on the weakside linebacker. Did you go over film on how they attacked your position and how to defend i?

NIEMANN: Yeah of course. One of the plays that sticks out to me was in 2016 when Barkley ran a wheel route up the sidelines. You can’t let that happen and allow those big plays.

Q: There was uncertainty about their starting quarterback. Were you prepared for Levis to run that often up the middle and how did you adjust to that?

NIEMANN: When he came in last week against Nebraska it was a lot of QB draws. I don’t know if he is quite as comfortable throwing it. He is a big guy and a good athlete. With them being down at the running back position it was something we expected. We knew that both QB’s could run it, so we had to be ready for both guys.

Q: Take us through going from 0-2 to 3-2. How important was it for this team to get these three wins?

NIEMANN: Starting 0-2 is not what you wanted to happen. They were both heartibreaking losses. In training camp at the beginning of the season we knew what we had on the team and what we were capable of doing. It was kind of like putting our foot down and make a decision that we weren’t going to let the train go off the tracks and let it spiral out of control. We were going to show up, keep working, and play like we were capable of playing. I think we have done that the last couple weeks and now the challenge is keeping that up.

Q: When we talked to Coach Parker that you guys kind of took some things upon yourselves after week two and were now kind of coaching yourselves out there and holding each other accountable. What brought that about?

NIEMANN: I think it’s about never being satisfied and not letting this season turn into something that it doesn’t have to be. That’s not losing anymore games and playing our best football each and every week. A lot of the guys on the team care and they love football and that showed. We have taken an initiative on defense and tried to play as hard as we can, as best we can, and then we know the results will come.

Q: What does it mean to you to put together this three game run where you have played as well as a team as this program has in a while? And doing it for Kirk Ferentz?

NIEMANN: I think if you asked the guys on the team they wouldn’t want to do it for anyone else. He really cares about us and him getting emotional after the game shows his investment in this place and what it means to him. We see that as players and feel the same in that regard. We are really happy things are going this way and the challenge is to keep it up and make the most out of this season and end it in a way where we are all happy.