PITT vs. IOWA
September 19, 2015 • 8 p.m., ET
Kinnick Stadium (70,585/FieldTurf) • Iowa City, Iowa
Big Ten Network • Pitt IMG Sports Radio Network
PittsburghPanthers.com • @GoPittFootball • #PITTvsIOWA
LINK (PDF): Pitt Game Notes (Iowa) – Fans, these are the in-depth game notes (Pitt two-deep, bios, etc…) and if you are watching the game they are a great thing to have in your hand for quick reference. Here are some notable things going into the game. Note the shake up in the starters listed (CAPS is the 1st string):
Quarterback: 4 NATE PETERMAN JR*, 6’2”, 225 or 16 CHAD VOYTIK (JR*, 6-1, 215)
Tailback: 37 QADREE OLLISON FR*, 6’2”, 230; 5 Chris James (SO, 5-11, 210) or 22 Darrin Hall (FR, 5-11, 215)
Right Tackle: 70 BRIAN O’NEILL (FR*, 6-6, 290) OR 78 ALEX BOOKSER (FR*, 6-6, 310); 72 Carson Baker (SO*, 6-5, 325)
Strong Safety: 9 JORDAN WHITEHEAD FR, 5’11, 185 OR 25 PAT AMARA JR. SO, 6’2”; 195 26 Jevonte Pitts (JR*, 5-11, 200)
Defensive End: 92 RORI BLAIR SO, 6’4”, 240; 52 Shakir Soto (JR, 6-3, 265); 48 Zach Poker (SO*, 6-4, 235)
TEAM NOTES
SEEKING A 3-0 START: With a victory at Iowa, Pitt would achieve a 3-0 start for the fourth time since the 2000 season. During that span, the Panthers won their opening three games in 2000, 2009 and 2014. In each of those seasons, the 3-0 starts were springboards to bowl invitations.
PITT LIMITS PENALTY YARDAGE : Pitt is averaging only 26.5 penalty yards through two games, the fifth lowest average in the country. The Panthers’ 53 total penalty yards rank seventh. Pitt has nine total penalties this season, which ranks 20th nationally.
PITT SENIOR CLASS SMALL BUT MIGHTY: Pitt has only 11 seniors on its 2015 roster, the sixth fewest amount among Bowl Subdivision teams. In 2014, the Panthers fielded one of their youngest teams in memory. Pitt had 81 underclassmen (53 freshmen and 28 sophomores) on last year’s roster, the highest total of any FBS team.
FBS TEAMS WITH FEWEST SENIORS (PRESEASON ROSTERS): 1. Wake Forest 6 Wyoming 8 UCF 9 Vanderbilt 9. Old Dominion 10. PITTSBURGH 11 Eastern Michigan 11 NC State 11 9. Miami (Fla.) 12 10. Idaho 13 Tulane 13 NIU 13 Penn State 13 Louisville 13 Arkansas 13 Florida State 13 Nevada 13 Oregon State 13 Purdue 13
GAME STORYLINES
Pitt continues non-conference play this week when it travels to face Big Ten foe Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. The Panthers and Hawkeyes are both 2-0 and looking to continue their early season momentum. Pitt is coming off a 24-7 victory at Akron, while Iowa defeated rival Iowa State, 31-17.
Close calls and fourth-quarter drama have ruled recent Pitt-Iowa series history. In the past three meetings, the average margin of victory has been three points. The Hawkeyes rallied from double-digit deficits to win each of the past two games, 31-27 in 2011 and 24-20 in 2014. The Panthers won in 2008, 21-20.
Although only two games into the season, Pitt’s play on defense has been very encouraging. The Panthers boast national top 25 rankings in quarterback sacks (fourth, 4.50 sacks/game), third-down defense (10th, 19%), total defense (20th, 258.5 yds./game) and rush defense (22nd, 88.0 yards/game).
The Panthers have nine sacks in two games. Last year Pitt had only 19 sacks in 13 games.
With All-America tailback James Conner out for the year due to injury, Pitt is relying on a youthful backfield to carry the running game.
Redshirt freshman Qadree Ollison and true frosh Darrin Hall combined for 133 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries in the Akron victory. A week prior, Ollison rushed for 207 yards in just two quarters of play against Youngstown State.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television • Big Ten Network
Joe Beninati, play-by-play
Chuck Long, analyst
Pitt Radio • 93.7 The Fan & the Pitt IMG Sports Network
Bill Hillgrove, play-by-play
Pat Bostick, analyst
Larry Richert, reporter
SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Sirius Channel 135, XM Channel 196
WPTS Radio (Pitt Student Station) • 92.1 FM
Pitt IMG Sports Network Online Audio Options
PittsburghPanthers.com via CSLive
Pitt Gameday LIVE App
SERIES NOTES
This is the seventh meeting between Pitt and Iowa in a series that dates back to the 1931 season…the series is tied, 3-3, but Iowa has won each of the past two games (2011 and 2014)…the Panthers held double-digit leads in each of those contests only to be upended by second-half rallies…this year’s game marks Pitt’s first visit to Iowa City since 2011, when the host Hawkeyes rallied from a 21-point third-quarter deficit to win, 31-27…the Panthers are 1-2 in games played at Iowa, the lone victory occurring in 1931 (20-0)…Pitt’s last win in the series occurred in 2008, a 21-20 decision at Heinz Field…prior to 2008, the two schools had not played since 1952, a 26-14 win by the Panthers in Pitt Stadium…the 2015 encounter marks the final contest in a four-game pact between Pitt and Iowa…Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz has extensive ties to Pitt and Pittsburgh…Ferentz is a graduate of Upper St. Clair High School and served as a graduate assistant on Jackie Sherrill’s 1980 Pitt coaching staff.
Series Began: 1931
Series Overall: Series tied, 3-3
At Pittsburgh: Pitt leads 2-1
At Iowa: Iowa leads 2-1
At Neutral Sites: 0-0
Last Meeting: Sept. 20, 2014 (Iowa won, 24-20)
Current Series Win Streak: Iowa has won 2 (2011, 2014)
Longest Pitt Series Win Streak: 2 games (1952, 2008)
Longest Iowa Series Win Streak: 2 games (2011, 2014)
Largest Pitt Margin of Victory: 20 points (20-0, 1931)
Largest Iowa Margin of Victory: 17 points (34-17, 1951)
It’s likely Votik still gets more chances this season so don’t despair. Also, I didn’t ever say he couldn’t hit certain passes — as he clearly has — just that he relies too much on the short routes without scanning the field enough. He may get better but he may not.
Clearly Peterman wasn’t perfect but he throws a nice ball and give the kid a break, that was his most playing time since high school…he’s got much rust but still showed presence, arm strength, and he’s pretty quick too. Nice to have two decent options at QB and I like keeping it an open competition, no matter who starts what game. LSU and OSU won 10-11 games a year a few times alternating QBs…I’m okay with that until someone grabs the job completely.
I love how Chad progressed last year and was rooting for him to get even better this year… But ultimately I root for Pitt and Peterman looks to be it.
H2P
My mom lives a block and a half from the South Side Primantis and it’s always the first think I do when I have a chance to get home. Cap-n-egg with a cold iron,
now I’m starving
H2Cap
Pick one up for me and FedEx it to me plz.
While I agree if NP got all the snaps, he would have thrown for 200-250, if you extrapolate over 4 quarters, and CV and Boyd connecting 6 or more times more, he would have also thrown for that amount, IF…..IF the play calls remained the same.
I know I’m fighting an uphill battle here and more than likely a ‘lost cause’. But I believe in the school motto. Srry.
Use to love the bottles, as they were all different.
Thx for the memories BigB !
I know it’s a small sample size…but he seems to have (a) stronger arm (b) better field awareness (c) read progressions quicker AND (d)LEAD THE RECEIVER – HIT THE RECEIVER IN STRIDE….more frequently than C.V.
I like Chad’s heart — but watching the ball flop around on too many times when under pressure on his passes reminds me of the Tino passes and (god -forbid) Kordell Stewart missing too many wide open receivers on Sunday. 🙁
I like our chances this Saturday.
The effect that an undefeated team come the end September will have on our recruiting potential will also be noticeable. Many of our remaining highly rated recruiting targets are watching how Narduzzi leads this team through the season. No stumbles yet for him yet, and with another victory, Pitt will have two weeks to bask in the aura of being UNDEFEATED! that will not go unnoticed by the likes of Mathews, Pugh, Gilbert, Hamlin, Hudson, Long, etc. All of them waiting to make their decisions while still having Pitt very high on their list of schools they may attend.
Win this one and the prospect of 7-5 is very likely due simply to the momentum created by early successes, and with a few spurts of good fortune going Pitt’s way for a change, 8 or 9 wins will be much more possible.
A Pitt win will be huge for the momentum of the program. We have beaten the teams we are supposed to beat. Now we are against an opponent we are not supposed to beat (if you believe vegas), but are pretty evenly matched up against. A 4 point spread on their turf equates to a 1 point differential in their favor due to the 3 point allowance for home field advantage.
Downhill and discipline is key for our defense. As previously indicated, their starting qb can be dangerous because of his escapability, experience and arm strength. Their receivers run free often and their running game can be potent. Stuff the run with well disguised run blitzes. They throw a lot of out patterns. Their lines look big and defensively, quick. Will give Artie problems. I thought Artie looked hurt and slow last week. Any news there?
This game is not too big for Pitt, so we should do well if we remain disciplined.
Pittsburgh Brewing made most of the money by being a contract brewer. There is a contract brewer within a 10 min walk from my house. They open up on Friday’s and Saturday’s and pour whatever they happen to be making.
Also liked the fact that JP Holtz got several looks and made big plays in the Akron game thanks to NP. Not sure if Chad even knows that JP is an eligible receiver at times he has looked him off so many times.
AS a fellow pol sci grad, late 70’s, the answer is that the pols are sitting in the PSU President Box – still the 3rd most corrupt state like back in the 70’s. Content to suck on the PSU government teets.
You are probably right. That also might be the reason the 3 Co-conspirators have yet to go on trial. And I believe a trial date has not even been set.
Perhaps they never will.
