Iowa may have accomplished the unthinkable: Spencer Petras, offense might have gotten worse

Let’s get the “yeah, buts” out of the way in which proper off the highest. Iowa opened with the No. 3 workforce within the FCS in South Dakota State. The Hawkeyes did so minus their high working again and two of their high three broad receivers with each Gavin Williams and Keagan Johnson sidelined and broad receiver Nico Ragaini introduced as out to begin the week.

These accidents are along with broad receiver Jackson Ritter and offensive lineman Justin Britt each being misplaced for the season. Plus, broad receiver Diante Vines isn’t anticipated again from his harm earlier than a minimum of the halfway level of this season it doesn’t sound like.

It’s an offensive line that’s younger in spots and seeking to substitute a first-round 2022 NFL draft decide in former heart Tyler Linderbaum. Simply to reiterate, South Dakota State is admittedly good on the FCS stage and has overwhelmed FBS competitors as lately as final season in Colorado State and hung with Minnesota in a 28-21 loss to begin 2019.

All of that is true. It doesn’t change or excuse the truth that this regarded and felt like all-time low for Hawkeye quarterback Spencer Petras and the Iowa offense.

This was a flat-out embarrassing offensive efficiency for a program that spent all offseason seeking to tackle a gaggle that completed No. 121 nationally in whole offense a season in the past, averaging 303.7 yards per recreation.

Iowa ranked a hundred and first within the nation in dashing yards per recreation with 123.6 and 109th in passing yards per recreation with 180.1 final 12 months. In 2021, Iowa registered a median of 16.5 first downs per recreation. In scoring offense, the Hawkeyes completed ranked No. 99, averaging 23.4 factors per recreation.

Up to now, not so good within the enchancment division. Iowa managed to do worse than every of these averages from final season. The Hawkeyes completed with a measly 166 yards of whole offense, 109 passing yards and 57 dashing yards. Despite the fact that the rating appears just like the Hawkeyes tossed a traditional landing and PAT on the board, Iowa scored its seven factors by advantage of 1 discipline aim and a pair of safeties. Oh, by the way in which, Iowa completed with 10 first downs and was 4-of-17 on third-down conversion tries.

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In reality, Iowa’s seven factors had been the fewest by a successful Massive Ten workforce since Iowa’s 6-4 overcome Penn State in 2004. The Hawkeyes are additionally the primary Massive Ten workforce to win a recreation with out scoring a landing since Nebraska beat Michigan State 9-6 in 2018.

At halftime, Petras was 6-of-15 passing for 41 yards with an interception. He completed 11-of-25 for 109 yards. The entire speak about this being a new-look offense positive didn’t maintain up over the course of recreation one.

It might be so simple as Iowa really doesn’t have a greater choice than Petras at quarterback. That’s what Ferentz mentioned to begin this season.

“It’s a protracted analysis, and we consider every part, we inform our guys beginning in January. Clearly we’re not doing soccer stuff, and each Spencer and Alex are each high quality guys, however simply the time on the sector, I believe Spencer has outperformed Alex a little bit bit at this level. He’s additional forward and provides us a greater likelihood to achieve success. That’s to not diminish what Alex has accomplished. Each have improved.

“Now the factor is can we put this complete factor collectively and be a little bit bit extra productive offensively. Each guys have accomplished an excellent job. Spencer has continued to climb,” Ferentz mentioned earlier this week when requested why Petras was capable of safe Iowa’s beginning quarterback job.

If that’s the case, then so be it, nevertheless it’s tough for followers to reconcile not seeing different quarterbacks like Padilla or Labas get their likelihood outdoors of observe and in a recreation to attempt to ship higher for Iowa.

In any case, as many within the Iowa echo chamber would cross alongside, proper now, it doesn’t really feel like it might get any worse. So, why not give these different two an opportunity and see if it might present a spark?

It is going to get bought and painted as a constructive that Iowa received the sport 7-3 over South Dakota State regardless of offensive struggles. It’s not. It’s a detrimental that Iowa head soccer coach Kirk Ferentz and offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz had been capable of persist with Petras for the sport’s entirety and win.

It units up for the Hawkeyes to stick with a quarterback which means this workforce’s ceiling isn’t a Massive Ten championship or possibly even a return look within the Massive Ten Championship recreation. At present was the day to check out and see what it regarded like as soon as once more with backup quarterback Alex Padilla or redshirt freshman Joe Labas.

As an alternative, the second got here and handed and now it’s on to Iowa State the place tinkering on the quarterback place in-game may imply dropping to your greatest rival for the primary time up to now seven conferences. Clearly, the Iowa teaching workers hopes it doesn’t come to that.

The outcomes versus the Jackrabbits point out that it’s most likely a matter of time earlier than it does. Just like the irritating play that has outlined Petras’ profession at Iowa up to now, the San Rafael, Calif., native overthrew targets with regularity, struggled in opposition to strain to determine the place his open receivers had been, he was intercepted on a cross behind his meant goal in tight finish Sam LaPorta, and missed a deep shot to broad receiver Alec Wick that might have helped sealed the sport.

To be truthful, Petras deserves a cross on this regard: just like the subpar play that outlined the again half of final season, it really isn’t and wasn’t all his fault. The offensive line confirmed some severe weaknesses in recreation one.

Petras was beneath common duress and the offensive line by no means may set up the Hawkeyes’ patented run recreation. Leshon Williams ended his day with 24 carries for a hard-earned 72 dashing yards, although he even had a pricey fumble on Iowa’s lone offensive drive that appeared destined for the tip zone. As a workforce, Iowa averaged simply 1.6 yards per carry.

It’s week one, so overreactions are a harmful recreation, however this was wildly uninspiring offensively from a program that wants enchancment on that aspect of the soccer within the worst method.

Record

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Story initially appeared on Hawkeyes Wire