Four INTs lead Iowa to 55-42 Victory over Pittsburgh

Four INTs lead Iowa to 55-42 Victory over Pittsburgh

04/06/2012 10:37 PM Pittsburgh, PA. – The Iowa Barnstormers used a complete team effort to earn another road victory Friday night as they defeated the Pittsburgh Power 55-42 at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA.  With the win, Iowa improves to 2-2 on the season, while Pittsburgh falls to 1-3.  The victory was the Barnstormers second win on the road this season, after winning just once away from home all of last season.
The first half was a back and forth battle between the two teams.  Iowa took a 7-0 lead on the first of two first-half Rodney Filer touchdowns.  Pittsburgh responded as WR PJ Berry scored on a 30-yard pass to tie the game 7-7 at the end of the first.  The second quarter was much of the same.  Iowa took a 20-14 lead when LB John Mohring recovered a Craig Camay kickoff in the end zone for a Barnstormers touchdown.  However, Pittsburgh came right back as Berry returned the ensuing kickoff 57 yards for a touchdown.  The teams headed to the locker room with the Power holding a narrow 28-27 lead.
Iowa came out strong in the third, scoring the first 14 points of the second half.   DB Jason Simpson celebrated his 29th birthday by recording back-to-back interceptions to enable Iowa to take a 41-28 lead.  Pittsburgh narrowed the lead to 41-35 when QB Andrico Hines found WR Mike Washington from 5 yards out as time expired in the third quarter.
Iowa took the ball to open the fourth quarter and Head Coach Mike Hohensee found himself with his biggest dilemma of the young season.  Faced with a 4th-and-6 deep in their own territory, the Barnstormers gambled and the gamble paid off as QB J.J. Raterink connected with WR Chris Matthews for a 44-yard score, increasing Iowa’s lead to 48-35.  Filer added his third TD of the night with less than two minutes left to ice the game for Iowa.