Fun Facts: Iowa-Pittsburgh

I've been to a few American cities for college football work trips. Of those, Pittsburgh ranks high on my list of favorites.

It may have more bridges than any other city in the world. That's what I call a Fun Fact. Here are some more:

1. The last time Iowa played at Pittsburgh was 2008. That day, Iowa's Shonn Greene and Pitt's LeSean McCoy each scored touchdowns and combined for 263 total yards. Both are still starting running backs in the NFL. McCoy has 7,817 career total yards, Greene 4,350.

2. Iowa has more players in the NFL than Pitt, but the Panthers have some good ones. McCoy, cornerback Darrelle Revis and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald are at or near the best at their positions. So is punter Andy Lee.

3. Iowa is 25-25 against FBS competition since the start of the 2010 season. Pitt is 24-25.

4. Iowa was 4-1 in road games last season. Jake Rudock was the starting quarterback in each of them.

5. This is the first season in which Iowa's first three games were decided by one score since 1948. Iowa started 2-1 that season, too. It finished 4-5.

6. Iowa has 71 first downs, second only to Nebraska's 74 in the Big Ten.

7. Pitt has played before average crowds of just 26,926. It had 40,549 for its home game against Delaware, then played in front of 30,083 at Boston College and a paltry 10,147 at Florida International. Iowa's average crowd, all at home, is 67,200. A crowd of 50,000 is expected for Iowa-Pitt. The 2008 game between the two drew 50,321 at Heinz Field.

8. Pitt has gone to bowls the last six seasons, but they haven't been biggies. They've been the Sun, Meineke Car Care, BBVA Compass (three straight years), and Little Caesars Pizza. The crowd at the Little Caesars Pizza bowl between Pitt and Bowling Green was 26,259.

9. Adam Amin will do play-by-play for ESPNU's telecast of the game. Amin began his broadcasting career at radio stations in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

10. Pitt has outscored its opponents 52-0 in second-quarters.

11. Pitt plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coastal Division. Pittsburgh is not on the Atlantic Coast. In fact, six of the seven Coastal teams and 12 of the 14 ACC teams aren't on the Atlantic Coast.

12. Pittsburgh's favorite sandwich is made by Primanti Bros. It comes with coleslaw and French fries atop the meat of your choice.