Pitt
Iowa
Pittsburgh Edges Iowa, 21-20
9/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 20, 2008
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PITTSBURGH (AP) -LeSean McCoy ran 27 yards for a go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter and Pittsburgh rallied to beat the Hawkeyes 21-20 Saturday.
McCoy, who set a Big East freshman rushing record last season, also had a 28-yard catch on the 80-yard drive that gave Pitt a 21-17 lead. The Panthers (2-1) led 14-3 in the second quarter, only to have Greene lead two touchdown drives that put Iowa (3-1) up 17-14.
Greene's 6-yard scoring run made it 14-10. Later, Greene carried three times for 27 yards after a pass interference call on Aaron Berry gave Iowa a first down at the Panthers' 28, leading to quarterback Jake Christensen's 2-yard TD run and Iowa's only lead of the game, with 5 1/2 minutes remaining in the third.
The Hawkeyes again used two quarterbacks. Ricky Stanzi (7-of-10, 79 yards) outplayed Christensen (12-of-24, 124 yards) in the first half only to have Christensen lead an important scoring drive in the third quarter - just as he did the week before in a 17-5 win over rival Iowa State.
But Christensen couldn't lead any in the fourth quarter, and his fumble at the Hawkeyes' 28 in the final minute ended their final possession. Dave Brytus's 57-yard punt forced Iowa to start the drive at the 1-yard line.
Pittsburgh got scoring runs from its two quarterbacks, starter Bill Stull and backup Greg Cross, to move to 2-1 before it opens Big East play at Syracuse next Saturday.
Cross scrambled 17 yards to score on his first career carry midway through the first period after a fumble by McCoy led to the first of two Iowa field goals by freshman Trent Mossbrucker. However, Iowa sophomore Daniel Murray was wide right on a 35-yard attempt with 1:21 remaining in the first half.
After a late-hit penalty on Brett Greenwood gave Pitt a first down at the Iowa 8 early in the second quarter, Stull - normally a pocket passer - ran 6 yards on third-and-goal for his first career touchdown to make it 14-3. Stull was 11-of-25 for 129 yards with an interception.
Iowa didn't allow a touchdown in its first three games, and could have made a push for the Top 25 by winning on the road against a BCS conference opponent.
Despite being in the lead, Iowa couldn't hold on to win in Heinz Field, the home of the NFL Steelers. Iowa's uniforms were patterned after the Steelers' under former coach Hayden Fry in 1979 and have remained mostly unchanged since then.
