Extended offseason proves to be beneficial for Iowa football’s offense
The absence of game action for the first part of the fall allowed new quarterback Spencer Petras to work more on developing chemistry with his pass-catchers.
Iowa wideout Ihmir Smith-Marsette celebrates a kick-return touchdown during the 2019 SDCCU Holiday Bowl between Iowa and USC in San Diego on Friday, Dec. 27, 2019. Smith-Marsette scored rushing, receiving, and return touchdowns in the game.
October 6, 2020
When Spencer Petras suited up for his final game as the Hawkeyes’ backup quarterback in the Holiday Bowl, nobody could’ve forecasted what would come next.
Although college football completed its season entirely, the COVID-19 pandemic forced winter sports to stop before reaching the conclusion of their seasons. Spring sports barely got a season started, some not at all.
COVID-19 is still a pressing issue in college athletics and across the U.S. The public health crisis has delayed the start of the Big Ten football season and postponed all other fall sports to the spring.
While other conferences started their football schedules earlier in the fall, the Big Ten announced on Sept. 16 that it would, in fact, have a fall football season, after the conference previously stated that it would postpone football until the spring. Three days later, the conference announced the season’s schedule.
Iowa and Petras will face off against the Purdue Boilermakers in West Layfeyette on Oct. 24., the first Big Ten gameday of the year.
While the San Rafael, California, native would have loved to get his first season at the helm of Iowa’s offense underway sooner, the redshirt sophomore used the added time away from game action to build strong chemistry with his pass targets.
“Obviously, having spring football would’ve been great for our team,” Petras said. “We all made the best of what we had.”
Petras also noted tight ends and running backs, along with his deep receiving corps, will help him get the passing game going.
“Tight ends and running backs are always a great option in the pass game,” Petras said. “Especially when we have all the weapons we do, it’s going to be good to be able to spread the field and we’ve got some dynamic guys to be able to make plays.”
Some of Petras’ offensive weapons at those two positions include Sam LaPorta, who was named to the John Mackey Award watch-list, given to the nation’s top tight end, and returning running backs Mekhi Sargent and Tyler Goodson.
Sargent says he can provide a safety-net option in the passing game for Petras, as will Goodson, who caught 24 passes last season.
“I’m pretty confident in my hands,” Sargent said. “I think Spencer and I have built a good relationship throughout the offseason with him throwing the ball to and me catching it. I feel like it’s going to be a good year.”
While tight ends and running backs often play a significant role in any passing attack, the bulk of the production will come from Iowa’s experienced receiving corps.
A group that caught nearly 2,200 yards worth of passes last season from Nate Stanley, now with the Minnesota Vikings, is trying to make the first season with Petras as easy as it can be.
“It’s still tough, [Petras] about to go into his first year in a starting role,” Imhir Smith-Marsette, who accounted for 722 of those receiving yards last season, said. “We should be able to make it easier by going out there and being reliable. With the way this receiving room has moved forward, we should be able to be a reliable hand for Spencer to go out there and get in a comfortable set. Big plays, small plays, we need him to trust us.”
