North Texas @ Iowa preview

Iowa will try and start a season 4-0 for the first time since 2009 when its hosts winless North Texas on Saturday afternoon. It's a homecoming for North Texas coach Dan McCarney, a native of Iowa City who along with Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz were longtime assistants for the Hawkeyes under Hall of Fame head coach Hayden Fry, teaming up to go to the Rose Bowl twice and eight straight bowl games from 1981-88.

Iowa comes into this one off an emotional 27-24 victory at Pittsburgh last week, winning the contest on Marshall Koehn's 57-yard field goal with no time remaining. "For Marshall Koehn to finish up with a moment like that, that's something all of us will remember," Ferentz said. Iowa opens Big Ten play next week with a key road game at defending West Division champion Wisconsin and Ferentz said it is important that his team doesn't get caught looking ahead. "This is the last game of our non-Big Ten portion of our schedule, and it's a really important game for us that way," Ferentz said.

TV: 3:30 ET, ESPNU. LINE: Iowa -24.5

ABOUT NORTH TEXAS (0-2): The Mean Green opened the season with a 31-13 loss at SMU on Sept. 12 and followed that up with a 38-24 loss to Rice last week in their Conference USA opener. It's a homecoming for senior quarterback Andrew McNulty who hails from Iowa City but comes in completing just 50.7 percent of his passes (35-of-63) for 431 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. His favorite target, senior wide receiver Carlos Harris, was a preseason All-Conference USA pick and has 149 career receptions, including eight for 193 yards and two touchdowns in last week's loss to Rice.

ABOUT IOWA (3-0): Junior quarterback C.J. Beathard improved to 4-0 as a starter with the win at Pitt where he set career bests in completions (27), attempts (40) and yards (258). He also leads all Big Ten quarterbacks with 142 yards rushing and three rushing touchdowns and has developed a strong connection with junior wide receiver Matt VandeBerg who leads the Big Ten with 22 receptions for 218 yards and two touchdowns.The defense, led by senior end Drew Ott and senior free safety Jordan Lomax, leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth nationally in rushing yards allowed (51.0).

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Hawkeyes are one of only four schools in the nation to not allow a rushing touchdown this season.

2. Iowa junior CB Desmond King is tied for the Big Ten lead with three interceptions, including two on Pitt's first two possessions of the game last week.

3. Koehn was named the Big Ten's Special Teams Player of the Week for his kick at Pittsburgh, the longest game-winning field goal in the FBS since 2008 when Fresno State's Kevin Goessling connected from 58 yards against Utah State.

PREDICTION: Iowa 31, North Texas 10