Stat Pak: No dance teamers hurt in the celebration

5 BULLET POINTS

1. Injury update — We pretty much know what you saw.

Defensive end Drew Ott played maybe double digit snaps with his dislocated left elbow. He couldn't totally straighten out his arm, but he played and even popped into the interview room for some quickie talky before booking out. He clearly wasn't 100 percent, but he played. This is just me talking, but I would sit him this week against North Texas. Just me talking to me, though.

RB LeShun Daniels also played and seemed to be slowed by the right ankle injury he suffered at Iowa State. Then again, that also might've been Pitt. Will Iowa face a tougher defense this season? I would put Minnesota and Northwestern in the conversation and then maybe Wisconsin and then Nebraska. Pitt's D-line is on par with Nebraska's, which has some star power.

Here's what Daniels, nine carries for 17 yards, had to say about his health: 'I feel good enough to play,' he said. ' . . . I was in treatment twice a day, three times a day, just to get it right, just to contribute to the team and do my best.'

I think Daniels plays this week. It doesn't take a genius to see that Ott was in a little worse shape (even though he posted a pic showing his injury happening on Instagram and tagged it with hilarious hashtags).

And Kirk Ferentz: 'I think we are as far as I know, and I don't think our two guys went backward, so that's a positive.'

So, nothing definitive.

2. Check out CJB's eyes on his final run — It's hard to tell on TV, but you can see that Iowa QB C.J. Beathard's eyes are locked on the Kinnick Stadium game clock. I'm not exactly enlightening you when I write that his 8-yard scramble that helped set up Marshall Koehn's 57-yard game-winner was key, but a couple of points: 1) He ran into space and HE stayed in control of when the clock could be stopped. He sprinted toward the sideline and dove before a Pitt defender could get to him. The Iowa sideline was ready with the timeout. 2) CJB told me in the postgame that he wanted to hit the deck with three seconds left. He missed it by one, but you have to like how CJB masterfully controlled that play.

3. I think I know why no targeting on the Galambos hit on CJB — You know the play. Pitt linebacker Matt Galambos ran a beautiful stunt and had a free run right into CJB's dental work. He led with the crown of his helmet (a no-no). He contacted CJB's head (also a no-no).

Here's the rule: No player shall target and initiate contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with the helmet, forearm, fist, elbow or shoulder. When in question, it is a foul. (Rule 2-27-14)

You know where I'm going, definition of 'defenseless player.' That is defined as 'a player not in position to defend himself.' Yes, maybe you could argue defenseless with CJB, but penalty wasn't called and I think that's why.

4. The dance team is OK — By now, you've watched the celebration 20 times. You've seen Koehn take off the opposite way and end up in the south end zone and sending his game-winner through the north end zone uprights. You've seen the spirit team member not sense that a mass of human football team was about to crash down on her back like a tsunami. You saw her disappear like a cornstalk in a combine.

Rest easy, the dance team made it out alive.

ICYMI: we were part of the epic celebration @ Kinnick Except for a few bumps & bruises all are ok! #danceteamstrong https://t.co/p4CfIEXdYs — Iowa Dance Team (@IowaDanceTeam)

This is no joke. Koehn told me after the game that linebacker Bo Bower ended up on the bottom of the pile and lost consciousness. Might be part of the myth that will just snowball until we all have gray eyebrows, but still, kind of scary.

5. Pin Iowa deep again doesn't work — Remember last week when, right here in this space, I wrote that the tackle strong safety Miles Taylor made on Allen Lazard that forced a fourth-and-short that eventually turned into a punt sort of inadvertently saved the game? It happened again Saturday night.

On third-and-2 from Iowa's 43, Pitt RB Darrin Hall was stopped for a 1-yard gain by Desmond King and Jordan Lomax. On fourth-and-less-than-a-foot, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi tried to draw the Hawkeyes offside. The Panthers ran five different motions. Pitt QB Nate Peterman gave the hard count head jerk three times, with the final one being a plaintive scream that might've been the F word into his center's backside.

Pitt punted, probably thinking pin Iowa deep and play field position (Iowa's offense in the second half produced zero points at this point). Iowa drove 80 yards on 11 plays and RB Jordan Canzeri scored from the 1 to cap a 6:46 drive.

'We planned on punting it, we were in field position where we could take a delay of game,' Narduzzi said. 'I think it's a great call and you see if someone jumps. They did flinch near the end and I think we could've snapped it and maybe have gotten a first down, but we didn't.'

THREE STARS

1. K Marshall Koehn — I'm not sure the freeze timeout is worth calling. It simply takes too long to get the call in from the sideline. If I'm a coach, I'm not willing to play that game of timeout roulette. If I'm the guy with the headset (and let's for this moment assume it's plugged in), I keep the timeout and let it tease the kicker's head. Is he going to call it? Is he not going to call it?

Narduzzi called his freezer super early. Koehn heard the whistle and strolled up to the ball and gave it a little bump. Narduzzi sent star WR Tyler Boyd out in case it was returnable. All Boyd could do was watch the kick sail through the uprights.

Koehn is 4 of 4 on field goals this year with the shortest being 40 yards. He also punted for the first time in his career. It was a rugby style kick and it went 64 yards with no return and pinned the Panthers at their 4.

2. QB C.J. Beathard — Iowa is tied with Florida State, Bowling Green and Texas A&M for most TD drives covering 9-plus plays and 80-plus yards this year with four. Iowa had 11 80-yard drives all last season. Get this, Beathard led six of those. Yes, some were definitely in garbage time.

Beathard has five passing plays covering 40-plus yards this season, which ranks third in the Big Ten. Last season, Iowa had 11 pass plays of 40-plus with CJB contributing three.

3. CB Desmond King — The junior corner had a streak of three straight series that ended in interceptions. He picked off two early passes, including one in Iowa's end zone in the first quarter. King and Boyd had a great battle. It was iron sharpening iron most of the night. Pitt moved around Boyd, who got King a few times. The life of a corner = the life of a relief pitcher.

Passing yards

3a. DE Nate Meier — I'm not sure everyone understands how good of a football player Meier has been for Iowa this season. He had two sacks Saturday night (four this season now) and was credited with a QB hurry. He also tipped a pass in the fourth quarter and wasn't credited.

FILM ROOM

Iowa's new punt formation has got some problems. The Hawkeyes changed from an arrow (best way I can describe it) to a shield formation. It took all of three weeks to crack the code.

Pitt put four rushers on either side of the line of scrimmage. Potential punt blockers broke free from both sides, but on Iowa's left side, safety Jake Gervase and linebackers Travis Perry and Cole Fisher were outnumbered. Pitt used two defenders to take out two blockers, who took jab steps for their release, and sneaked a third defender across Perry's face. Perry would've had to shun his release and try to block two players. On the back end, linebacker Josey Jewell saw the right side, where safety Miles Taylor had four Pitt defenders in front of him, and shaded to that obvious numbers deficit, by just a step.

That step allowed defensive back Ryan Lewis to fly in and block Dillon Kidd's punt. Defensive back Pat Amara scooped and scored.

It's a new formation for Iowa, and Pitt's special teams staff scouted it and picked it apart fairly cleanly.

TWO PLAYS

1. First-and-10 from Pitt's 11 — Instead of a regular inside zone, the Hawkeyes ran a split zone out of a jumbo formation, with tight ends Henry Krieger Coble and George Kittle lined up tight right with wide receiver Matt VandeBerg beginning the play on the outside of Kittle's hip.

Ball is snapped and VandeBerg shows a reverse motion. The Pitt linebackers freeze and watch for a mesh between MVB and CJB. Meanwhile, Kittle pulls and takes out the backside DE. HKC seals the playside LB. Canzeri makes free running LB miss. Center Austin Blythe perfectly seals the MLB and it's a 7-yard gain for Canzeri.

This was a new formation and Iowa looked awfully comfortable running it.

2. Second-and-3 from the Pitt 4 — Same play. This time, Canzeri finds a cutback lane made by G Jordan Walsh's pancake. Right tackle Ike Boettger seals the DE. Left tackle Boone Myers, maybe that was a hold. He was beaten, but stayed close and, hey, no flag. HKC whiffed on LB No. 3 but shaded him enough to make him lose sight of the ball. HKC continued and did seal No. 47.

Again, new formation. Maybe at some point MVB gets the reverse handoff. Maybe he continues in sort of a wheel route.

One play with a whole lot going on.

Rushing yards

UP NEXT — NORTH TEXAS (0-2)

— Here's what happened in the Mean Green's 38-24 loss to Rice last weekend in UNT's Conference USA opener.

— The Mean Green's QB is Andrew McNulty, a former Iowa City High prep. Here's a feature on his long journey to become starter. How long of a leash does McNulty have?

— You know NT coach Dan McCarney, Iowa City native, former Iowa assistant, former Iowa State head coach. Here's a video of his presser from last week:

THE NUMBERS GAME

Touchdowns in the red zon

Iowa — 3 of 3

Pitt — 2 of 3

Tracking the Hawkeyes: Week 1 vs. ISU — 4 of 5 (off), 1 of 1 (def); Week 2 Iowa State — 2 of 3 (off), 1 of 2 (def); Week 3 vs. Pitt — 3 of 3 (off), 2 of 3 (def)

The takeaway: Iowa's nine redzone TDs are tied for 28th in the country. Iowa still hasn't tapped RB LeShun Daniels and his 225 pounds on the goal line. Canzeri had touchdowns of 1 and 4 yards. He went 104 carries last season without a rushing TD. He has four already this season. This week, that 2 of 3 for Pitt looms rather large and is Desmond King's number. His interception on a Nate Peterman third-and-goal pass from Iowa's 5 . . . well, it looms rather large a day later.

3 and outs (forced by defense)

Iowa — 3

Pitt — 2

Tracking the Hawkeyes: Week 1 vs. ISU — 3 (def), 2 (off); Week 2 vs. Iowa State — 4 (def), 4 (off); Week 3 vs. Pitt — 3 (def), 2 (off)

The takeaway: King ended two of Pitt's first four drives with interceptions. The first two, actually, and they were good-looking drives until King stepped in. Iowa's defense settled down and forced its three-and-outs out two of the next four drives. Remember, Pitt scored on a punt return and took advantage of an interception that set up its offense at Iowa's 15. Iowa's defense held strong. Best unit on the field Saturday night.

Second half adjustments

Iowa — 165 yards, 5.5 yards per play (30 plays)

Pitt — 124 yards, 5.1 yards per play (31 plays)

Tracking the Hawkeyes: Week 1 vs. ISU — 163 yards, 5.25 yards per play (31 offensive plays), 195 yards, 6.5 yards per play (30 plays on defense); Week 2 vs. Iowa State — 232 yards, 6.62 yards per play (35 offensive plays), 66 yards, 2.12 yards per play (31 defensive plays); Week 3 vs. Pitt — 165 yards, 5.5 yards per play (30 off plays), 124 yards, 5.1 yards per play (31 def plays)

The takeaway: Iowa has held its last two opponents to 190 second-half yards. On the scoreboard, that's 45-31. Take away one TD in garbage time vs. Illinois State and those numbers look a little better. Still, these are winning numbers.

20-plus plays

Iowa — 3

Pitt — 3

Tracking the Hawkeyes: Week 1 vs. ISU — 4 (off), 3 (allowed); Week 2 vs. Iowa State — 6 (off), 3 (allowed); Week 3 vs. Pitt — 4 (off), 3 (def);

The takeaway: All three of Iowa's 20-plus plays were passes, including two to WR Jacob Hillyer, who has four receptions for 90 yards this year. Boyd came up with two of Pitt's three 20-plus plays, all of which were passes.

The Iowa/Greg Davis definition of explosive (it's 12-plus runs and 16-plus passes): 6 (Illinois State 9, Iowa State 12, Pitt 6)

Magic points (scores inside of two minutes)

Iowa — 10

Pitt — 7

Tracking the Hawkeyes: Week 1 vs. ISU — 3 (off), 7 (allowed); Week 2 vs. Iowa State — 7 (off), 0 (def); Week 3 vs. Pitt — 10 (off), 7 (def)

The takeaway: Iowa has had magic points every week so far, including two pretty large scores vs. Pitt (Canzeri 4-yard run with 44 seconds left before half, capping a 12-play, 74-yard drive that took 5:59 off the clock, and, well, you know).

Why is this? I go back to the harmonic convergence of Kirk Ferentz opening the hood and picking smart places to be aggressive (no game management snafus so far this season) and CJB's rise to QB1.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com