Was there punting? Yep. Was there running? Oh yeah. Was there excitement? Just look at the three boys in the stands waving their shirts overhead. In what has become an annual tradition, Hawkeye fans can watch the team practice for free at Kids’ Day at Kinnick, and every year excitement and exaggeration are as bright as the midday August sun.
But what isn’t an overreaction is that Iowa’s passing game can’t escape the shadow of the ineptitude that’s plagued it the last few years. While new offensive coordinator Tim Lester’s impact is evident, the ineffectiveness of quarterbacks Cade McNamara and Brendan Sullivan was still glaring.
The two QBs each received reps with the starters, with McNamara having the edge, but neither found the endzone through the air and were hampered by tips at the line of scrimmage and overthrows. In fact, defensive back Quinn Schulte’s pick return from an errant McNamara pass would’ve been the longest completion of the day.
During his post-practice press conference, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said the performance of the QBs today was typical from what he’s seen in practice so far, and if such is true, then that’s a concern.
“Like everything, [the quarterback play] isn’t consistent enough right now,” Ferentz said. “Every snap is really important for us right now.”
Back in July during Big Ten Media Days, Ferentz said McNamara could be considered the definitive starter, but after Saturday, the No. 1 job looks wide open.
“We’re going to let all three guys keep playing,” he said of McNamara, Sullivan, and backup Marco Lainez. “With quarterbacks, you’ve got to let them keep playing and see what they can do.”
What Iowa’s most experienced quarterbacks – Sullivan and McNamara – did on Saturday was far from encouraging. Neither completed a pass their first series as McNamara finished the day with a 34.7 completion percentage during 11-on-11 drills, connecting on only eight tosses. Sullivan found more targets, but a majority of his completions were check-downs and slants to the sideline.
“Considering he got here in June, he’s making up for some lost ground,” Ferentz said of Sullivan, who arrived in Iowa City from Northwestern.
Ferentz said he wants Sullivan to keep taking first-team reps, and while competition can be productive, it’s also not ideal for Lester as he implements his offense, particularly if Sullivan or McNamara are better suited at certain things. Based on their career rushing stats, Sullivan is more mobile, but McNamara proved that perhaps his knee is fully healthy when he dashed down the right sideline for 15 yards. All of Kinnick held its breath, praying that the turf would be merciful.
A year removed from a quad injury and 11 months removed from a left ACL tear, the senior quarterback said he is 100 percent healthy, and that looks to be the case. But the Michigan transfer is nowhere near perfect with his in-game awareness.
“He’s got reads that are hard, plus you’ve got to fill the pocket and deal with the rush,” Ferentz said of McNamara. “I’m not an expert on quarterbacks, but that’s what he missed, being in those game and scrimmage situations.”
This probably isn’t the first time Iowa has gone in 11-on-11 so far in camp, but regardless, McNamara has a long way to go in a short amount of time as Week 1 peeks around the corner. Ferentz said he and the coaching staff will continue to evaluate the quarterbacks in the next couple of weeks in team scrimmages.
“Practice and meetings are important,” Ferentz said. “They will have a good opportunity to work from today when we sit down tomorrow and look at the tape … The trick is to see things on tape, and then how well you can process it individually, then get to the field and go to work.”
Ferentz’s claim that consistency has to improve across the board is true, as the Hawkeyes still struggled outside of the quarterback position. Two false starts and a snap that soared over McNamara’s head were ugly moments. Even the Hawkeye veteran defense can analyze stopping the run, as backs Kamari Moulton and Kaleb Johnson had big days. The only aspect that probably wouldn’t need refinement would be punting, of course. The transition from Tory Taylor to Rhys Dakin will be seamless; from one 50-plus yard boot to another.
Ultimately, Lester’s scheme is forging an identity with constant motion and downhill running, but the man under center to lead the offense remains blurry. McNamara technically has more experience at Iowa and has three more months with Lester, so he would be the betting favorite. Yet the past cannot blindfold the events of Saturday. Ferentz needs to see the quarterbacks as to who they are, not who they will be. And right now, that view isn’t fun to look at.