COLUMBUS, Ohio — Iowa soccer coach Kirk Ferentz made his view of the quarterback place fairly clear after Saturday’s 35-7 loss at Ohio State.
No, the Hawkeyes are usually not headed for a change at quarterback, Ferentz stated.
“We’re not prepared, I believe, to have an argument at that place,” the longtime head coach stated.
The loss to Ohio State once more illustrated the hole between Iowa and nationwide powerhouses. The Hawkeyes haven’t overwhelmed one of many three giants of the Massive Ten — Penn State, Michigan or Ohio State — since a 2021 win over the Nittany Lions. Towards ranked opponents final season, Iowa was overwhelmed a mixed 92-0.
Maybe you can level to the truth that Iowa at the least scored on Saturday as progress. However in actuality, Saturday’s margin was much like these three video games final season.
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The quarterback place wasn’t adequate on Saturday. Cade McNamara completed the sport 14-of-20 passing for 98 yards and three turnovers — two fumbles and one interception. Similar to the sport itself, the quarterback play match an outdated, drained narrative.
When, if ever, will Iowa’s quarterback woes lastly be solved?
To be clear, quarterback manufacturing was not the one poor space on Saturday. The Hawkeyes had been overwhelmed within the trenches — on either side of the ball — and outgained 203-116 on the bottom. Iowa’s protection additionally gave up 4 touchdowns via the air.
After Iowa trailed simply 7-0 on the break, it obtained ugly within the second half. Ohio State is a official nationwide championship menace, and the Hawkeyes didn’t do a lot within the third and fourth quarters to point out they may compete at that degree.
“The underside line is, you’ve obtained to play clear soccer towards a crew like this,” Ferentz stated. “We weren’t in a position to try this. They get some credit score on that, too.”
For the reason that 2019 departure of Nate Stanley, Iowa’s quarterback struggles have been no secret. Whether or not or not it’s Spencer Petras or Alex Padilla or Deacon Hill, Iowa hasn’t gotten mandatory manufacturing from that place. There was optimism that McNamara, as soon as a prized switch from Michigan, can be the answer.
By the primary 10 video games of his Iowa profession, McNamara has fallen wanting that.
The bottom bar for McNamara to clear as Iowa’s quarterback — taking good care of the ball — is one thing he was unable to do on Saturday.
McNamara’s turnovers got here on three consecutive possessions to open the second half, all however erasing any first-half hope that Iowa had managed to construct.
As a result of Iowa lives in such skinny margins, avoiding turnovers is paramount, much more so towards a crew like Ohio State. The shortage of ball safety was a motive the quarterback place was such a catastrophe at Iowa final season. Hill completed the season with a ratio of eight interceptions to 5 passing touchdowns.
McNamara’s landing pass-to-interception ratio this season is now 3-to-3. He was and not using a turnover towards Illinois State, Troy and Minnesota, however coughing up the ball proved expensive towards Iowa State and Ohio State. An early second-half turnover towards Iowa State this season gave the Cyclones life. Three towards Ohio State on Saturday shut the door on a potential upset.
“We consider each place week to week,” Ferentz stated about quarterback. “However we’re comfy. I believe Cade’s enhancing. I actually do. It sounds humorous with the turnovers right now, I believe he appears extra comfy. His timing appears higher. And he was getting the ball out rather well within the first half. Now we have to enhance as a collective offense.”
It would go towards standard opinion however to Ferentz’s level, McNamara began Saturday’s contest nicely, finishing 10 of his first 12 passes. There’s, nonetheless, a gaping gap in that argument.
Completion effectivity just isn’t McNamara’s greatest concern. In actual fact, within the final two video games — towards Minnesota and Ohio State — he was a mixed 25-of-39, marking main enchancment from a putrid 13-of-29 outing towards Iowa State.
However that extraordinarily environment friendly stretch towards Ohio State issues much less if it quantities to zero factors and likewise means turning the ball over thrice in a while.
In his Iowa profession, McNamara has not but thrown a landing towards an influence convention opponent (granted, a redzone package deal with backup Brendan Sullivan was carried out earlier this season, making it tougher for McNamara to take action). However extra troubling than the dearth of touchdowns are the truth that all three of his interceptions this season have come towards energy convention opponents (one was a final ditch heave towards Iowa State). It’s also possible to add the 2 fumbles towards Ohio State to that turnover tally.
Iowa didn’t get McNamara simply to beat up on decrease degree applications. When the competitors degree rises, he wants to take action with it.
“We simply can’t flip the ball over,” McNamara stated Saturday. “We had three drives in a row with turnovers. That simply can’t occur. They only got here out within the second half and so they performed nicely. They’re are a great protection and so they’re a great crew.”
You’ll be able to argue advert nauseam towards Ferentz’s assertion that McNamara is enhancing. However backside line is, the truth that that is even a dialogue is an issue. It was affordable to assume that McNamara would’ve been higher than this via 5 video games.
Iowa would not want its quarterback to be prolific. Operating again Kaleb Johnson solves quite a bit for the offense with the way in which he’s been enjoying. Iowa simply wants McNamara to deal with the ball and make defenses pay from time to time when the prospect presents itself.
In important moments, that hasn’t been the case.
By the primary 10 video games of his Iowa profession — cut up between 2023 and 2024 as a result of damage — McNamara hasn’t carried out a lot to validate the joy that when surrounded him. Ferentz has preached endurance for somebody who has been out for an prolonged interval — on a number of events. That religion in him might nonetheless bear outcomes.
However time is turning into of the essence for McNamara to vary the narrative.
Mentioned Ferentz: “Cade can be high-quality.”
Observe Tyler Tachman on X@Tyler_T15, contact by way of e mail at ttachman@gannett.com