Hawkeye fans have been calling for more of Brendan Sullivan after seeing flashes of his game as a designated red zone quarterback.
Due to unfortunate circumstances, the fans got what they wanted. We never want to see a player get hurt. But there’s a clear difference between how the offense operates when he or Cade McNamara is under center, and saying the quarterback change should remain permanent is warranted.
Head coach Kirk Ferentz expressed his confidence in McNamara’s ability to lead the Iowa football team to success week-in and week-out. If that wasn’t the case, he wouldn’t have been recruited to come to Iowa. We have seen glimpses of McNamara’s ability to deliver timely passes and make plays when needed.
However, like all sports, the game evolves. As a quarterback in today’s game, you need to have the ability to make plays with your legs. Enter Sullivan.
Sullivan impacted the game with his legs in the three or four snaps he was getting in the red zone. During a play against Michigan State, he turned a funky snap that made him do a 360 into a two-yard rushing touchdown — something we haven’t seen McNamara come close to doing this year.
In the Ohio State game, the only scoring drive Iowa put together was the last drive of the game — Sullivan’s lone drive where he completed a 12-yard pass and took two rushes for 27 yards, capped off by a Kaleb Johnson touchdown.
Game after game, it was moments like that that had the Hawkeye faithful questioning why he wasn’t QB1 sooner.
It’s been nearly two weeks since we got to see Sullivan in the role we so desperately wanted for him, but not in the fashion we hoped for. In the second quarter of the Northwestern game, McNamara got popped while throwing the ball downfield. He got up and ran to the sidelines, where he was diagnosed with a concussion after testing.
Sullivan subbed in as a result.
Upon his appearance, Iowa was trailing, 7-5, just minutes before halftime. Johnson couldn’t break through the defense as teams centered their focus on him.
By the end of the game, the Hawkeyes won, 40-14 — an explosion in the second half sparked by the dynamic rushing attack led by Sullivan and Johnson. He completed 9-of-14 passes for 79 yards and took eight carries for 41 yards and a touchdown.
“That’s a clear contrast,” Ferentz said after the Northwestern win. “ I think that’s one of Brendan’s strengths. He’s a really good athlete. And the other thing is he commanded the game. No matter what your style is, you have to do that.”
In the 42-10 win against Wisconsin, Sullivan led four straight scoring drives in the third quarter to the early fourth quarter. He finished the game completing 7-of-10 passes for 93 yards and one passing touchdown along with nine carries for 58 yards and one rushing touchdown.
The number of plays he extends due to his rushing ability is uncanny.
“He’s an incredible athlete,” Iowa wide receiver Jacob Gill said, who has been roommates with Sullivan since the two were freshmen at Northwestern. “He’s always been that way. Always been one of the faster guys, one of the more explosive guys.”
The eye test has proven the Iowa offense has looked more fluid all-around — especially in the run game. As if Johnson couldn’t get any better, Sullivan adds another layer of ground attack that opens more gaps for the Heisman candidate.
Numbers don’t lie. Sullivan sits third among quarterbacks in the country in points per opportunity with 0.57 minimum 100 snaps taken, per Cody Nagel of 247 Sports.
I speak for all Iowa fans by saying we can’t wait to see another Sullivan-led offense on the gridiron for the year.
“Just a lot more confidence being built,” Sullivan said after the win over Wisconsin. “Obviously, knowing that you’re going to start, you gotta have some confidence.”