After surviving ¡El Assico! with a 31-17 victory over Iowa State, Iowa has some momentum and is looking to start the season 3-0 for the first time since its Orange Bowl winning season way back in 2009. The Hawkeyes are off to their most inspiring start in a number of years this season, after winning potential letdown games they normally lost, and showing a more aggressive style under new quarterback C.J. Beathard.
How to watch Pittsburgh vs. Iowa on TV or online, plus 3 things to know
Will there be another wild comeback in this series?
Pittsburgh is also 2-0, but the Panthers have some more question marks after struggling with Youngstown State and Akron. Most notably, the questions come on offense. The Panthers lost star running back and 2014 ACC Offensive Player of the Year James Conner for the season after the first week, and they also have a quarterback competition ongoing. Chad Voytik came into the season as the starter, but Nathan Peterman came in and injected some life into the Panthers in the win over Akron.
Right now, it’s tough to be certain about either of these teams’ chances in their respective conferences this season. This game will provide a lot more insight.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network (or BTN Alternate)
Online streaming: BTN2GO
Spread: Iowa is favored by 5.5 points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Black Heart Gold Pants for Iowa fans and Cardiac Hill for Pitt fans.
Three big things to know
1. Iowa could potentially be missing two of its best players. Running back LeShun Daniels and defensive end Drew Ott have both suffered injuries against Iowa State. The Hawkeyes were able to bounce back against the Cyclones, with Jordan Canzeri running for over 100 yards and Jaleel Johnson and Nate Meier dominating on the defensive line. However, if neither Daniels nor Ott play, the Hawkeyes won’t have any room for error.
2. Who will play quarterback for Pitt? Ironically, Iowa has been the team that had quarterback controversies in these teams’ past few games. Voytik and Peterman will probably both play, but how their snaps are split will be something to keep an eye on.
3. Iowa has won on dramatic comebacks the last two times these teams have played. The Hawkeyes put current starter C.J. Beathard in last year to bring them back from a 17-7 third quarter deficit in Pittsburgh. In 2011, Pitt gave up a 17-point lead in the final 12 minutes -- and a 21-point lead overall -- as Iowa rallied for the biggest comeback in its history.
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