Iowa Defense Fine, Offense Remains Mystery

Hawkeyes Sputter in Loss to Iowa State

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz coaches against Iowa State during the CyHawk game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Hawkeyes were cooking.

Last week, they experienced a rare offensive outburst in dumping Southern Illinois, 40-0. They carried the momentum over to Saturday in building a 13-0 halftime lead with rival Iowa State in town. 

Then, the kitchen closed. Iowa's defense was no longer eating. Once again, the offense was starving.  

The Cyclones rallied for a 20-19 victory in front of a mostly stunned Kinnick Stadium crowd. That from an ISU outfit looked lost in the first half. 

Credit Iowa State for halting the Hawkeyes' Kinnick winning streak at eight. Not coincidentally, it was the first opponent to score at least 20 points since the Iowa's last home loss ('22 Nebraska). Iowa shut out two of the previous three visitors. 

Saturday was a rare occasion when the defense yielded big plays. They were startling because of their rarity. 

In the second half, ISU resembled Jeff Brohm-coached Purdue teams attacking the Hawkeyes. Like the Boilermakers, Iowa State took shots with NFL-caliber receivers. Their quarterback dropped dimes. 

Other Iowa opponents saw how Brohm dented the defense. Most of them couldn't replicate it, however.

The latest outing was an aberration for a unit that's stood the test of time. It still was good enough against a talented Cyclone offense. 

Leading 7-0, linebacker Jay Higgins intercepted an Iowa State pass, setting the Iowa offense up at Cyclone 12 yard line late in the first quarter. Despite achieving a 1st-and-goal from the one, the drive ended in a field goal. 

Late in the first half, the Hawkeyes marched down the field, setting up a 1st-and-goal from the visitor three. Again, they settled for a field goal. A game that could have been 17-0 or 21-0 was 13-0 at the break. 

So, yeah, this team's fate will be decided by how the offense develops. We probably won't learn of any growth next Saturday when 0-2 Troy comes to town, but it better be happening in practice. Trips to Minnesota and Ohio State are up after that. 

Quarterback Cade McNamara remains mystery. He's played two good halves and 60 minutes of forgettable football. Saturday, that was going 3 of 10 for 19 yards with two interceptions in Saturday's second half. 

Iowa needs consistently efficient play from the position to reach its potential. Through two weeks, it's not getting it. 

First-year offensive coordinator Tim Lester has input, but the head coach Kirk Ferentz has the final say at who lines up behind center. It's hard knowing what would trigger a change from Ferentz, who has been slow to bench the starter throughout his career.

Ferentz told us that backup Brendan Sullivan, a Northwestern transfer, and McNamara were in a close training-camp competition. The coach sounded very much in current QB1's corner after Saturday's game. That's been consistent since McNamara arrived from Michigan in '22. 

Ideally for the Hawkeyes, McNamara's Saturday afternoon was part of kicking off the rust from two lost seasons. The sixth-year senior getting in a groove while battling for Floyd and then against the Buckeyes would be welcomed. 

It's not all on McNamara, either. Lester's play-calling wasn't fooling ISU very often after halftime, and he needs to get the ball into his playmakers' hands. Luke Lachey, Addison Ostrenga and Kaleb Brown are not being utilized enough in the passing game. 

The good news is that the O-Line play has improved. It along with Kaleb Johnson and the rest of the running backs have Iowa ranked 27th nationally with 222.5 rushing yards per game. For reference, the Hawkeyes were 107th (115.9) a year ago. 

This offense should be better with a veteran line and an explosive running game. It's up to Ferentz and Lester to make that happen. 

It is too early to pull the plug on McNamara. He's playing because the coaches feel he gives the team its best chance at victory. If that weren't the case, the coaches would lose the locker room. 

There also comes a point where Sullivan deserves a shot if McNamara's inconsistency leads to long offensive droughts. Another loss other than to Ohio State will make reaching College Football Playoff tough. 

That should remain the goal for this team with its unusual amount of experience. Saturday's setback removes the margin for error and adds pressure. That can be a boost or a burden. 

It's up to this veteran coaching staff to push the right buttons on offense. The defense and special teams will be there. 

After Week 1, Hawkeye Nation was feeling better about an offensive that's hurt it badly in recent years. Iowa State reminded everybody that it wasn't an easy fix.