Tag: cade mcnamara

Kirk Ferentz says there’s no QB controversy with Cade McNamara, Iowa football

Kirk Ferentz says there’s no quarterback controversy in Iowa City.

Despite a three-turnover day in Iowa’s 35-7 blowout loss at then-No. 3 Ohio State, Hawkeye head football coach Kirk Ferentz says there’s no quarterback controversy involving Cade McNamara.

McNamara played a big role in Iowa unraveling in the second half against the Buckeyes. On each of the Hawkeyes’ first three possessions of the second half, McNamara turned the football over.

McNamara sandwiched a pair of strip-sack fumbles around an interception on a pass intended for freshman receiver Reece Vander Zee.

“We evaluate every position week to week, but we’re comfortable. I think Cade’s improving. I really do. It sounds funny with the turnovers today, but I think he seems more comfortable, his timing seems better. He was getting the ball out really well in the first half. We have to improve as a collective offense, but we’ll evaluate everything,” Ferentz said.

Backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan, a junior transfer from Northwestern, led Iowa’s lone scoring drive of the day. It included a 30-yard run from Sullivan.

“I figured that would trigger something today. A lot of bad things happened today and that would probably be one of them. Not that I wasn’t glad to see Brendan run. He can do that and he’s done a good job in practice, but we’re not ready to I think have a controversy at that position,” Ferentz said.

Ferentz discussed what he saw on Iowa and McNamara’s three turnovers.

“I think one or two of them were tipped I believe. The other one it looked to me like the ball just came out of his hand, it looked like he lost the grip on it. You’ve got to be really careful to get too emotional in evaluating things like this, because when you get in a game like this, things usually seem a lot worse than they are in reality.

“We’ll assess that tomorrow when we look at the film and kind of go from there. We’ll watch the tape and see what’s fixable, what isn’t and then reassess things and kind of move forward. I’m sure there’s some protection involved. I’m sure probably could’ve done a better job of getting open. That’s usually what goes on when you have miscues. Run or pass,” Ferentz said.

Ferentz was also asked what he’s seen that makes him feel that McNamara is making strides.

“I just think he’s more comfortable and more decisive and quicker getting the ball out, which he was doing a really good job of that in the first half. They were rushing the pass pretty well too then and I thought he got the ball out. We just have to get better collectively and run the ball better will help us in that regard, too.

“I don’t want to say I’m not disappointed. Obviously we wanted more yards and more points. But, I’m optimistic in that I think we can get better and I think we will get better. I think we have two guys that are capable of hopefully moving our football team with both quarterbacks, but I think Cade will be fine,” Ferentz said.

McNamara finished 14-of-20 passing for 98 yards with an interception.

Iowa hosts a Washington (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) team this coming Saturday that beat then-No. 10 Michigan, 27-17, in Seattle this past weekend.

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Why Tim Lester felt Iowa-Minnesota was Cade McNamara’s best performance

Tim Lester sees something growing in Cade McNamara.

With the Iowa Hawkeyes on a bye week, it is time for the coordinators to meet with the media. Tim Lester took the podium yesterday and he was not shy about displaying how he feels quarterback Cade McNamara played against Minnesota.

Against the Golden Gophers, McNamara went 11-of-19 passing for 62 yards on the day. He had no touchdowns and no turnovers. Despite the shortage of yards, Tim Lester said that he felt this was McNamara’s best game yet this season.

“This is going to go against the popular opinion, but I actually think last game was one of his best games. Everything is about your feet and timing in a passing game. It was one of his best games last game. Now, we weren’t…I had him I think at 11-of-13. I know you guys probably had him higher than that. I know we had two drops. We had two great reads, great throws, routes weren’t run right. We had one throwaway. I called a bad ball, called a bad play. He threw it away, which was a good decision.

“That’s what I grade. Can you operate this offense on time? That was his issue in week two. Probably his worst game as far as his footwork goes, which when your feet aren’t set, you’re not an accurate thrower of the ball. So, I really thought he played a pretty good game on Saturday. He got us in and out of blocking schemes, changed the Mike points all the time, he re-racked one from when they slid the front.”

“So, I felt like he did, actually one of his best games was last weekend throwing the ball, throwing it where we wanted,” Lester said about McNamara.

On the year, McNamara is 64-of-102 passing, a 62.7% completion percentage and a touch higher than his career mark of 61.3%. He has thrown for three touchdowns, all of which came in Iowa’s season-opener against Illinois State, and two interceptions, both of which came against Iowa State.

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Iowa football, Kirk Ferentz still feel confident with Cade McNamara as starting QB

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said he still feels confident with Cade McNamara as the Hawkeyes’ starting quarterback.

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz told reporters on Tuesday that he still feels confident with graduate Cade McNamara as the Hawkeyes’ starting quarterback.

“Yeah, I do. I’ll stay on the same page I’ve been on. I just think he needs to play and he needs to learn from his experiences. The faster you learn, the better, obviously. But, he’s missed a lot of time, so I think he needs that.

“It is a new offense for him. Probably, whatever it’d be, his third one in three years, something like that. There’s some learning going on there, but, yeah, he can play better and I think he will play better. It’s just a matter of working at it. There’s nothing magic we can do. Maybe eliminate some things and lean this way or lean that way, that type of thing. But otherwise, just counting on him to play a little better. We need to help him more at all positions,” Ferentz said.

McNamara had a strong first quarter against Iowa State, completing seven of his first eight passes and finishing the opening frame against the Cyclones 8-of-11 passing for 72 yards with a long of 21 yards to junior receiver Jacob Gill.

Then, McNamara proceeded to complete just 5-of-18 passes for 27 yards with a pair of interceptions over the game’s final three quarters in the Hawkeyes’ 20-19 loss versus Iowa State.

Ferentz’s remarks on Tuesday are in line with what the Hawkeyes’ 26-year head coach said following the loss on Saturday.

Right after Iowa dropped the Cy-Hawk game, Ferentz said that he expected McNamara to remain as Iowa’s starting quarterback.

“Probably the way I did coming into the stadium today. I think we expect him to be our quarterback and expect some ups and downs. I’ve been saying it pretty consistently. He’s still working his way back into shape, as is our whole team with the offense and whatever. But, we’ll get better. We’ll improve. Our guys have a great attitude, he’s got a great attitude, and we’ll work through this…

“But as I said last week, too, I think I’ve been saying it for a while now, he’s working his way back. He’s still trying to get back in game shape if you will, or game mode, and he’s working hard. I’m confident he’ll do just fine,” Ferentz said following the loss versus the Cyclones.

Ferentz was asked about the possibility of exploring a package for junior Brendan Sullivan. It didn’t sound as though that was an imminent outcome on Tuesday.

“We’ll keep an open mind to anything. Obviously if it’s going to help us win games now, that’s first priority. And then secondly, if a player—we rotate at other positions—it’s a little tougher at quarterback. It would take the right guy,” Ferentz said.

Iowa (1-1) returns to play on Saturday as it hosts Troy at 3 p.m. CT on FS1 from Kinnick Stadium.

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Kirk Ferentz comments on potential Brendan Sullivan QB package

Kirk Ferentz discussed his thoughts on a potential quarterback package utilizing Brendan Sullivan.

Nothing tells you football season is in full swing like the backup quarterback conversation getting started following Week 2 of the college football season.

That discourse is in full effect surrounding the Iowa Hawkeyes and their quarterback room as they prepare to host the Troy Trojans in Week 3.

During his weekly press conference, Kirk Ferentz was asked about utilizing Brendan Sullivan and his mobility in an offensive package in a similar fashion to Brad Banks being utilized in relief of Kyle McCann in 2001.

As usual, Ferentz played his cards very close to his chest but did not shut the door on a potential package with Sullivan.

“We’ll keep an open mind to anything. Obviously if it’s going to help us win games now, that’s the first priority. And secondly, if a player — we rotate at other positions — it’s a little tougher at quarterback. It would take the right guy,” Ferentz said about bringing Sullivan into the action.

As far as a starting quarterback change, that is something Iowa has stayed away from amid questionable quarterback play the last few years and is traditionally hesitant to do.

Kirk Ferentz was also asked if he feels confident in Cade McNamara continuing to be the starter and put to rest any questions of Brendan Sullivan fully takings over the reins.

“I do. We’ve been on the field twice. Yes, so far so good. I’ll stay on the same page I’ve been on. I think he just needs to play. He needs to learn from those experiences. The faster you learn, the better, obviously. He’s missed a lot of time. I think he needs that. It is a new offense for him,” Ferentz commented when asked if he is confident in McNamara.

McNamara started the year off going 21-31 for 251 yards and three touchdowns but followed it up with a rough outing going just 13-29 for 99 yards and two interceptions.

Brendan Sullivan has only seen some mop-up duty for the Iowa Hawkeyes this season as he has yet to register any statistics.

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Iowa football, Kirk Ferentz ‘expect’ Cade McNamara to remain starting QB

Kirk Ferentz said the expectation is for Cade McNamara to remain Iowa’s QB1.

Despite a rough final three quarters in Iowa’s 20-19 rivalry loss on Saturday versus Iowa State, Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said the expectation is for Cade McNamara to remain the Hawkeyes’ starting quarterback.

“Probably the way I did coming into the stadium today. I think we expect him to be our quarterback and expect some ups and downs. I’ve been saying it pretty consistently. He’s still working his way back into shape, as is our whole team with the offense and whatever. But, we’ll get better. We’ll improve. Our guys have a great attitude, he’s got a great attitude, and we’ll work through this,” Ferentz said.

McNamara, a graduate signal-caller for the Hawkeyes, completed just five of 18 passes for 27 yards with a pair of interceptions during the game’s final three quarters.

Ferentz was asked if something went awry with McNamara over the game’s final three quarters and what he saw there.

“Football is a game of momentum and swings. They’ve played good defense ever since Coach Campbell and Coach Heacock got there, so they made it tough on us. They made it tough, and we probably missed some plays, maybe some misreads or missed some plays where maybe we could have averted that. But, that’s going to be part of football, and we’ll have to ride that a little bit.

“But as I said last week, too, I think I’ve been saying it for a while now, he’s working his way back. He’s still trying to get back in game shape if you will, or game mode, and he’s working hard. I’m confident he’ll do just fine,” Ferentz said.

The 6-foot-1, 210 pound quarterback’s first interception came early in the second half with Iowa leading 13-0 and in possession of the football with a drive starting at the Iowa State 42-yard line.

On the Hawkeyes’ first play of the series, McNamara tried to force a throw to senior tight end Luke Lachey back across his body. It was intercepted by Iowa State redshirt senior defensive back Darien Porter.

The Cyclones responded with their first scoring drive of the contest, a 9-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with senior wide receiver Jayden Higgins’ 3-yard touchdown grab from redshirt sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht.

“Yeah, so we were planning on taking a shot. It was more of like a, kind of a trickeration play that we were hopefully going to fool them going one way and then throw back the other. Their corner did a really good job of coming up to the line of scrimmage and then bailing out of it. I just made a dumb decision. I should’ve just thrown it away. I just can’t force a ball in that situation,” McNamara said.

Though Iowa added junior quarterback Brendan Sullivan as a transfer from Northwestern, at least for now, the plan is for McNamara to remain the Hawkeyes’ starting quarterback.

Iowa (1-1) returns to action on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT on FS1 as the Hawkeyes host Troy (0-2).

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Wisconsin primary Big Ten rival names starting quarterback for 2024 season

Wisconsin primary Big Ten rival names starting quarterback for 2024 season

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz named Cade McNamara the Hawkeyes’ starting quarterback for the 2024 season on Thursday.

While fans may view this as an expected announcement, McNamara’s nomination is notable considering the recent report surrounding the university’s potential quarterback battle.

Entering his sixth season of collegiate eligibility, McNamara was fending off  Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan for the starting job during Iowa’s offseason training camp.

McNamara struggled mightily during an open practice on Aug. 10. The former Michigan Wolverine went 7/21 through the air for 20 yards, one interception, one sack and one fumbled snap in that practice.

What’s more, The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman recently reported Iowa head coach Ferentz and WRs coach Jon Budmayr will receive one-game suspensions due to a recruiting violation. That suspension revolves around Iowa’s recruiting efforts to snag McNamara following his decision to transfer from Ann Arbor following the 2022 season.

So, given the buzz surrounding the program, a decision many would consider ordinary has transformed into a notable storyline.

McNamara missed most of 2023 with a torn ACL but completed 46-of-90 passes for 505 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions before his season-ending injury. He did captain Michigan to the College Football Playoff in 2021, but ailments have kept him off the field since that point.

Iowa’s offense averaged an abysmal 15.4 points and 234.6 yards per contest in 2023, ranking No. 132 and No. 133 in the country, respectively. If McNamara can remain healthy, those numbers should increase with the presence of new offensive coordinator Tim Lester.

The Badgers will square off against McNamara and the Hawkeyes in Iowa on Nov. 2.

Iowa football leaning Cade McNamara as starting QB vs. Illinois State

Kirk Ferentz said Cade McNamara would be Iowa’s starting quarterback if the season kicked off today.

The starting quarterback position for the Iowa Hawkeyes has been a hotly debated topic following the open Kids’ Day practice that saw some controversy bubble up.

Cade McNamara, the Michigan transfer, struggled during Kids’ Day at Kinnick with a low completion percentage and a couple of turnovers. Brendan Sullivan, a transfer from Northwestern, had a better day and gained some ground on McNamara.

With Iowa’s season opener just over a week away, head coach Kirk Ferentz stated that right now the starting quarterback job for their game against the Illinois State Redbirds belongs to Cade McNamara.

“If we were playing tomorrow, Cade would be one, Brendan would be two, Marco would be three,” Ferentz told the media.

McNamara is returning from a torn left ACL that cost him much of the 2023 season, but he has continued to claim he is healthier than he has been in a while.

Behind him is Sullivan who is closing the gap and doing so fast. After being listed as the third quarterback in Iowa’s preseason depth chart, he is up to the second string and closing in.

Sullivan provides more mobility than McNamara and has ties to new offensive coordinator Tim Lester from his high school days when Lester was recruiting him.

Rounding out the quarterback depth chart is redshirt freshman Marco Lainez who has played sparingly but did flash some athleticism when he did play. At 6-foot-2, 228 pounds, Lainez showed some speed with six rushes for 51 yards in Iowa’s bowl game against Tennessee last season.

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Iowa head coach, former Wisconsin assistant suspended for recruiting violation

There is a Wisconsin connection to this big news:

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and WRs coach Jon Budmayr will be suspended for the first game of the 2024 season due to a recruiting violation, as first reported by The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman.

The Hawkeyes open their 2024 season against Illinois State on Aug. 31. Both coaches will then be back for the rivalry matchup against Iowa State the following week.

Related: Big Ten starting quarterback power rankings for 2024 from ProFootballFocus

Dochterman’s report notes that the violation comes from the program’s recruitment of former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara when he entered the transfer portal after the 2022 season. Ferentz and Budmayr reportedly pursued the veteran quarterback before he officially entered the portal, which led to him committing to the program only three days after entering.

Budmayr, who is currently Iowa’s wide receivers coach, was a special assistant to the head coach when this situation took place. The former Badgers quarterback (2009-2011) was previously a graduate assistant (2015), quality control coach (2016-2017) and quarterbacks coach (2018-2020) at Wisconsin.

He left to take the Colorado State offensive coordinator job in 2021 before eventually landing at Iowa.

This news does not affect Wisconsin’s Nov. 2 trip to Iowa this season.

What will, however, is the Hawkeyes’ ongoing quarterback battle between McNamara and Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan.

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Athlon Sports reveals Cade McNamara’s Big Ten QB power ranking

Athlon Sports ranked all of the quarterbacks in the Big Ten, including where Iowa’s Cade McNamara slots in.

There’s plenty of questions about exactly what the Iowa Hawkeyes‘ offense will look like in 2024.

After finishing with the nation’s worst total offense (234.6 yards per game) and the country’s second-worst scoring offense (15.4 points per game), Iowa athletics director Beth Goetz ensured that the Hawkeyes made a change at offensive coordinator.

Enter former Western Michigan head coach and Green Bay Packers analyst Tim Lester.

To be fair to the Hawkeyes, quarterback Cade McNamara was hurt early in Week 5 versus Michigan State and Iowa also lost star tight ends Luke Lachey and Erick All for the season.

For McNamara, it marked a second consecutive season that ended prematurely with a season-ending injury dating back to his time at Michigan. The 6-foot-1, 210 pound quarterback finished his four-plus games last season with 505 passing yards and four passing touchdowns against three interceptions with a 51.1% completion rate.

The injury history, McNamara’s abbreviated 2023 season with the Hawkeyes and the unknowns surrounding his recovery make McNamara a tough quarterback to evaluate heading into the 2024 season.

In Athlon Sports’ preseason Big Ten quarterback power rankings, McNamara checks in at No. 13. Or, in the bottom third of the conference to start.

With J.J. McCarthy entrenched as Michigan’s No. 1 quarterback last season, McNamara transferred to Iowa for a chance to start and build a resume for the NFL. However, the Nevada native was limited to five games due to a season-ending injury suffered against Michigan State on Sept. 20. In McNamara’s five appearances, he threw for 505 yards and four touchdowns for a struggling Hawkeyes’ attack.

McNamara’s recovery was a source of uncertainty at times this offseason, but the senior is on track to return to full strength by the opener. And in case there is a setback, Iowa can turn to Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan under center. New coordinator Tim Lester should help the Hawkeyes improve overall offensively this fall. – Steven Lassan, Athlon Sports.

McNamara’s Kids’ Day at Kinnick performance didn’t inspire much optimism for his 2024 prospects. Still, that’s one open practice and there’s been mixed reports coming out on how McNamara has looked and how the quarterback competition is shaking out in fall camp.

McNamara should be expected to start the season opener versus Illinois State on Aug. 31 and that he will be given every opportunity to make good on the expectations that he arrived with from Michigan. Iowa did find some quality insurance in the form of Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan.

The top five in Athlon Sports’ Big Ten quarterback rankings feature Oregon‘s Dillon Gabriel at No. 1, Penn State‘s Drew Allar at No. 2, Ohio State‘s Will Howard at No. 3, USC‘s Miller Moss at No. 4 and Washington‘s Will Rogers at No. 5.

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CBS Sports analyzes Iowa football’s QB competition

Iowa may have a quarterback competition on their hands. May the best man win.

Things have taken a turn in Iowa City with the 2024 college football season just over two weeks away. Following their Kids’ Day practice, the Iowa Hawkeyes may have a quarterback competition on their hands.

The incumbent starter, Cade McNamara, struggled mightily at the open practice completing roughly a third of his passes along with an interception returned for a touchdown and fumble issues, both of which are big no’s in Kirk Ferentz’s offense.

Behind him, and closing in quickly, is Brendan Sullivan, a transfer from Northwestern, who came to Iowa to try and play rather than be a backup. His performance and McNamara’s struggles seem to be leading to a QB competition.

CBS Sports dove into what the competition looks like.

Most assumed entering Iowa’s fall camp slate that former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara was well-entrenched as the starting quarterback. After all, the veteran opened the 2023 season as Iowa’s starter before tearing his ACL in late-September vs. Michigan State.

While McNamara is still first in line to run the offense, a recent uninspiring performance at Iowa’s Kids’ Day Practice has left the door at least slightly ajar for other options. Iowa did bring in Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan, who has started games in the Big Ten and provides some upside as a rushing option. – Will Backus, CBS Sports

Sullivan, a career 68.7% passer, with 10 touchdowns to five interceptions in his career, does provide a boost on the ground over McNamara. Sullivan has run for 257 yards in his career.

Where he does lack is experience. He has only appeared in 13 games over the last two years with the Wildcats. That said, there is a tradeoff. He knows Tim Lester, Iowa’s offensive coordinator, from his time being recruited out of high school. Chemistry exists there and that could go a long way.

There is still a sense that McNamara won’t be dethroned before Week 1 but could see his starting job up for grabs soon thereafter if Sullivan continues to string good days together.

McNamara is still Iowa’s starting quarterback and will likely be the starting quarterback in Iowa’s season opener against Illinois State on Aug. 31. However, Sullivan has made things interesting and could continue to push for the QB1 job the next few weeks. – Sean Bock, 247Sports

The Hawkeyes should welcome a quarterback competition right now. They have not had steady quarterback play in a few years and this competition could lead to pushing McNamara to be better or force the staff to realize that Sullivan is the way to go.

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