C.J. Beatherd  (file photo)

C.J. Beatherd (file photo)

Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard says he will be ready if called upon to start Iowa’s Big Ten opener at Purdue. The sophomore from Tennessee replaced the injured Jake Rudock in the second half of Saturday’s game at Pitt and led the Hawkeyes on three consecutive scoring drives as they rallied for the win.

With Rudock nursing an inujury Beathard is spending more time in practice with the first unit. He says he is not necessarily getting the first team snaps, but he says both the first and second team are running the same thing, so it is not really that big a transition.

Beathard says he appreciates the support he received from his teammates when he went into the game. “It’s great to know that they have a lot of confidence in me…they were real positive and uplifting…and I trust in them just as they trust in me. We are a team,” Bethard says.