Kicker Marshall Koehn’s 57-yard, game-winning field goal against Pitt will go down as one of the biggest kick’s in Iowa football history. But the drive that set up that kick was just as impressive.
With fewer than minute to go, Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard went to work doing what he does best: making quick decisions under pressure and improvising with his feet to keep drives alive.
It’s that ability to make something out of nothing that has sustained the Iowa offense in 2015.
“The longer I’m here, the more comfortable I get,” Beathard said. “I think that definitely plays a big part in it; just that I’m here finally getting the reps I need that I haven’t been getting, makes me feel more comfortable back there.”
Whether it was Sept. 19 against Pittsburgh, a pair of pivotal quarterback scrambles in the second half against Iowa State, or a pair of sneaks in the red zone for touchdowns against Illinois State, Beathard has, at times, been a one-man show.
It hasn’t exactly been by design, but Beathard’s ability to improvise and make plays on the fly have added another dimension to an Iowa offense that looks as dynamic and shifty as it has in years.
“He’s just a playmaker; it’s something he’s done ever since he’s been here,” tight end Henry Krieger Coble said. “We all have faith in him to protect himself when he’s out there, but at the same time, we’re doing everything we can to help him with that.”
The football equivalent of free-form jazz, Bethard’s improvising isn’t something that can be taught by any coach.
“We haven’t really run and designed plays where I run, so I think a lot of it is just instinct,” Beathard said. “A lot of those, we’re just scrambles. I saw a hole that I thought was breaking down and thought I could make a play with my feet, so that’s what I did.”
Beathard’s plays have also helped cover up for an offensive line that’s looked underwhelming at times this season.
“I think all of us get a little bit nervous when he takes off and runs, but he loves to do it, and he’s very good at it,” offensive tackle Ike Boettger said. “Just make sure he gets down at the end, I guess.”
Beathard was under pressure more often than not against the Panthers, evading a collapsing pocket to hit what seemed like an endless number of quick slants and out routes that kept the ball moving forward.
No team likes its quarterback having to scramble and make quick decisions with the ball to avoid a sack or worse yet, a turnover.
But knowing he is capable of making up for it on his own if the situation does arise can really alleviate a lot of the pass-protection problems that arise having a young offensive line.
And in that respect, Beathard could not be better suited to compliment Boettger and Company.