On Syracuse's first possession, they score a touchdown, passing for more yards (56) than they did all of last week (45).

Manson has been OK -- 10-17, 6.6 Yards/Att. -- but has thrown 2 interceptions. One was not his fault, but Syracuse dropped another pass that should have been an interception.

The defense picked it up in the 2nd quarter.

Albert Young has not gotten on track, but Damien Sims ran well in the second half.

This is going to be a close, low-scoring game. Which is, unfortunately, great upset material.

Two things, at least, we learned:

1) Iowa needs Drew Tate to be healthy in order to be a great team.

2) Iowa's defensive line can make a goal line stand. (As a corollary: Syracuse needs to add "QB Sneak" to its playbook.) Due to pass interference calls, Syracuse had 7 plays at Iowa's 2-yard line or closer (two plays well inside the 1) with a chance to tie the game, but were rebuffed each time.

SI's Stewart Mandel on the Hawks' win:

I never thought I'd see a bunch of sportswriters crowded around a TV watching the second overtime of an Iowa-Syracuse game, in which the inept Orange offense ran eight plays inside the Iowa 5 (thanks to two pass interference calls) and still failed to reach the end zone. The Hawkeyes have a history of early-season clunkers under Kirk Ferentz, but needing double OT against Syracuse -- who the New York Times last week called the worst BCS-conference team -- is alarming, backup QB or not.

It's actually somewhat amazing Iowa won, given the four interceptions Manson threw. I thought Iowa went away from the run for a little too long after Albert Young gained just three yards on his first three carries.