The Iowa Hawkeyes had all sorts of offensive problems against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Once again, Iowa (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) couldn’t solve an opponents’ defense. In this particular instance, it was Minnesota (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) that gave the Hawkeyes fits.
For the game, Iowa amassed 127 yards of total offense and nine first downs. Three of those nine first downs came via Minnesota penalties, and all came on the Hawkeyes’ lone touchdown drive.
In the second half, Iowa produced 12 yards of total offense. The Hawkeyes had a pair of turnovers and punted five times after halftime.
Leading the offensive ineptitude was a running game that never worked and a quarterback, sophomore Deacon Hill, who never seemed comfortable. The 6-foot-3, 258 pound quarterback completed 10-of-28 passes for 116 yards and he was sacked four times, twice fumbling as he was hit.
Afterward, Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz was asked why he and the staff have shown a reluctance to try sophomore quarterback Joe Labas under center.
“So on that topic, I’ll say this. For 25 years, we watch guys in practice and we evaluate what they do in practice and moving forward, certainly game performance is a big part of it. But you know, if it’s close, neck-and-neck, that type of thing, then you rotate guys in and take a look at them.
“I don’t think we’re insane. You go with what you see in practice, and you know, try to make the best decisions at all positions, not just quarterback. Obviously quarterback is the one that attracts the attention. But I’m standing here right now, we’ll see what next week brings, but I’m trying to think of the history since I’ve been here how many — you know, we had it in ’08 back and forth with two guys, C.J. and Jake, went back-and-forth a little bit. But typically there’s a clear one and clear two. I’m not saying that in a demeaning way to the guy that’s two. But that’s what it is and you kind of go from there,” Ferentz said.
Labas started for Iowa in its 21-0 win over Kentucky in last season’s TransPerfect Music City Bowl, completing 14-of-24 passes for 139 yards with one touchdown pass and no interceptions. He also carried four times for 11 yards.
But, judging from Kirk’s comments after the Minnesota game and before, Iowa believes it has a clear No. 1 and clear No. 2. Right now, Hill is that clear No. 1 and Labas is regarded as the Hawkeyes’ No. 2 option.
What then would it take for Labas to get a series under center?
“We evaluate everything in practice. We evaluate what happens in the games and we are going to play the guy that we think is going to give us the best chance, and we’ve done that at all positions and we’ve done that for 25 years. No two situations are the same. No two players are the game, and you just do what you think is best for the team. That’s my No. 1 obligation to all the players on our team. They are the guys out there laying it out there.
“So it’s pretty easy from that standpoint. But there’s gray area in everything. When you talk about evaluating people and performance, there’s always gray area, and anybody that thinks they are always going to be right, they are a fool. That’s impossible. We do what we think is best for the team. My personal obligation is to all of our players, give them the best chance to go out there and have a chance to compete.
“You have a bad day, which we certainly did today, you’ve got to get back up on your feet and go to work because if you surrender, it’s definitely over. And that’s not one player and that’s everybody. We all have to do that and find a way tomorrow to go back to work,” Ferentz said.
Iowa has a bye week to work with and another week of preparation if it wants to start working Labas in a bit more before its next game against Northwestern (3-4, 1-3 Big Ten) on Nov. 4.
Based on these postgame remarks, right now, it sounds as if Iowa is still solidly in the camp of Hill being its starting quarterback moving forward.
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