Kinnick Stadium is nearly empty. Its faithful fans were already celebrating what became a 40-14 win over Northwestern on Saturday. But Iowa quarterback Brendan Sullivan was in no mood to take his foot off the gas.
Calm but focused, even with just two minutes left in the game, Sullivan didn’t even take his helmet off on the sidelines. He conversed with his coaches, absorbing their advice. He talked things over with fellow Northwestern transfer and current Iowa wide receiver Jacob Gill. And he lit his offense up in the huddle with a pep talk before taking the field.
The third-year Sullivan took over after starting quarterback Cade McNamara struggled early, tossing a pass too short for any receiver that should have been an interception if not for a roughing the passer penalty. But he threw a pick not long after, resulting in six for the Wildcats.
Hawkeye fans called for his replacement as the starting quarterback stronger than ever after the 32-20 loss to the Michigan State Spartans last weekend. There, McNamara missed targets Division I quarterbacks have to make. And he threw a painful interception that looked far from the man he wanted. Still, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz was reluctant to give Sullivan a shot.
“Probably the biggest thing is it’s easier to talk about putting somebody in a game than just doing, especially at that position,” Ferentz said at his midweek press conference after the loss. “I think [McNamara] has done enough good things to where we have the confidence that he’ll play well Saturday … And when Brendan [Sullivan] gets an expanded role, or if he gets an expanded role, I think he’ll do well.”
On the ensuing Iowa drive after the McNamara interception, Sullivan took the field to the delight of the 70,000 fans in attendance. After booing Sullivan’s predecessor, Hawkeye fans’ wishes came true, and they left that evening without any regrets.
“We made the decision during the week we were going to rotate Brendan in a little bit on the third or fourth series,” Ferentz said. “It just worked out that way. He did a really nice job.”
Despite a shaky start that saw three straight three-and-outs, Sullivan came into his own quickly. He collected himself in the pocket to make the right throw, not perfect but smart and conservative, and scrambled well when he felt pressure.
“I’m really happy that he was ready to play,” Iowa offensive lineman Mason Richman said. “I’m sure, going against this team, he probably had a little more advantage than going against a different team. I’m really happy for him. He did a great job out there.”
By the end of the game, the junior from Davison, Michigan, oversaw 37 points to McNamara’s three — and passed 9-of-14 for 79 yards and a 111.7 passer rating, not to mention rushing for 41 yards on eight attempts and a diving touchdown over the right pylon.
“[I just have] an extra element to be able to scramble,” he said. “I think [that’s important] … just being able to do that and add that to the team when things aren’t going necessarily how we want them to go.”
That included a three-yard forward flip to tight end Johnny Pascuzzi. Where most quarterbacks leave it at that and skip the contact, Sullivan hit the jets downfield and blocked anything he could. What was a small toss then became a 40-yard gain that put the Hawkeyes in scoring territory.
“I do what I’ve got to do to help us be the best we can,” Sullivan said. “It was a fun play.”
And he stayed on the field much longer than others after the game to greet his old teammates in purple and white, from Wildcats receiver A.J. Henning to former head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who recruited the quarterback coming out of high school.
Sullivan said it felt like he was back in high school when watching film of Northwestern. The players on the screen weren’t faceless enemies, but lifelong friends and mentors.
“It was weird all week watching film and knowing exactly who these guys are,” Sullivan said. “[I have] nothing but tremendous respect for those guys across from us.”
With his family in the stands to witness, Sullivan gave the Iowa coaching staff plenty to think about when putting together the depth chart for Iowa’s upcoming game against Wisconsin.
When asked if he assumed he had the starting job, Sullivan declined to answer. After all, there was no guarantee he would wind up on the field at Iowa in the first place.