Flexibility Key to Iowa Success in ’24

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Color me surprised by Kirk Ferentz (basically) announcing his starting quarterback 10 days before the season-opener. There wasn’t a competitive advantage to the Iowa Football coach doing so. 

The news likely won’t put the Hawkeyes at a disadvantage against FCS Illinois State, though. No disrespect intended, but the game shouldn’t be close if Iowa is a College Football Playoff contender, which some of us believe. 

Public opinion on the Hawkeye quarterback competition formed on Aug. 10 during the team’s only open practice. Sixth-year senior Cade McNamara struggled, to put it mildly. Backup Brendan Sullivan, a Northwestern transfer, was marginally better. 

Ferentz said Thursday that McNamara would be the starter if the team were playing the next day. While it didn’t completely close the book on the competition, it meant something to say that after camp had just wrapped up. 

Nobody should be surprised despite the Kids Day disaster. Ferentz has publicly backed McNamara since he arrived through the transfer portal from Michigan. He’s just rarely been healthy enough to show people outside of the football building what the coach sees. 

That could change next week. McNamara said last month that he felt the best he had since becoming a Hawkeye late in ’22. He underwent knee surgery a few months before that. Then, he tore his ACL in Week 5 last year after injuring his quad during training camp. 

McNamara was early into his return to practice on Aug. 10. Rust made sense. Improvement also did. 

McNamara’s play convincing Ferentz to name him the leader in the clubhouse is a good thing for the Hawkeyes. It means he’s been better than how he and Sullivan looked Aug. 10, which was a must. And Sullivan likely has improved, too. 

At the risk of eliciting a “no crap” response from you, Iowa needs much better quarterback play than it experienced in 2023. It’s better positioned to do so. I know, “breaking.” 

The key moving forward is flexibility, however. The offensive staff must be precise in its continued evaluation and then act if change is warranted. 

If you just began following this program, you might say “no crap” again. If not, there’s evidence showing that the few close quarterback competitions witnessed during the last quarter century have been wonky. 

This month’s competition was close, according to the coaches. The student-athletes observed that as well. 

As the saying goes, you can’t fool the team. It will be watching and judging along with the staff. Fairness is essential for culture. 

It can’t be like ’12 and last season, when rigidity overrode what our eyes were seeing. Poor quarterback play can’t keep this team from reaching its potential. Nobody around here can handle that emotionally. 

The stars are aligned for a memorable Iowa Football season, perhaps one of the most memorable in a long, long time. If, in the end, the prevailing perception is that the offense kept that from happening, first-year coordinator Tim Lester will face less blame than did his predecessors. More will be directed at the boss.  

We’ve been told that it’s Lester’s show on that side of the ball. Heed history. Believe it when you see it. Know it’s not out of the question, however. 

Phil Parker and Seth Wallace were given more control of the defense in ’18 after being beat again having a linebacker covering a receiver. The Cash position was born. 

Afford Lester the same opportunity. Welcome advancements within the pro-style offense and adjust better to rule changes. Take advantage of player strengths. 

Ideally, McNamara will be what Iowa saw in recruiting. It’s plausible he presides over an efficient, opportune offense. It doesn’t need to be great. 

It’s also possible that Sullivan keeps developing and ends up being a better fit for Lester’s scheme. He’s more mobile than McNamara. 

Let it continue playing out with an openness to switching. There’s no time to waste. A formidable Iowa State team is the opponent Week 2. The Big Ten opener at Minnesota is two weeks later. 

It’s tricky, of course. It’s much easier making imaginary decisions sitting in the stands or on the couch or typing on a computer in your underwear. Nobody’s impacted, with the possible exception of the latter. 

Personnel decisions always play a critical role in determining success and failure. The stakes are raised when it’s at the game’s most important position. That’s the current dynamic.