Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes are set to face off against the Maryland Terrapins this weekend in their second to last regular season game of the year.

Ahead of this week’s game, Iowa holds a 6-4 record. They have had a couple of very disappointing losses over their last four outings. Losing to Maryland would simply compound upon what has already been a rough all-around stretch of games.

Unfortunately, heading into this week’s matchup, the Hawkeyes have made a horrible decision.

As most fans know, quarterback Brendan Sullivan has been lost for the season due to injury. That led to a new starting quarterback being need this week.

Ferentz and Iowa opted to turn back to Cade McNamara as their starting quarterback.

That decision is a bad one. McNamara has played poorly all season long and fans were desperately hoping for a change away from him long before the decision was actually made.

Why is the decision to revert back to starting McNamara a big mistake?

Jackson Stratton, the team’s sophomore quarterback, has shown the ability to throw the football well in very limited time. He also has a legitimate chance to be the team’s starter for the next two years.

Going back to McNamara does absolutely nothing for the program. He will be leaving following the 2024 season and has shown nothing on the field to warrant playing time. Seeing what the Hawkeyes have in Stratton is a major need and getting him valuable playing time could help him succeed in 2025.

Stratton has received very little playing time. Last week, he completed three of his six pass attempts against UCLA for 28 yards. On the ground, he chipped in a 14-yard run.

Those numbers should have made Iowa give him a chance. At the very least, they could confirm or deny that he’s capable of being the starter next season.

Giving the starting job back to McNamara only guarantees one thing. Fans are about to see more missed passes, frustrating decisions, and a lack of an ability to move the football through the air.