Iowa QB Reveals Mindset Before Big Wisconsin Game

Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Brendan Sullivan spoke out about his mindset ahead of facing Wisconsin.

Oct 26, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Brendan Sullivan (1) runs off the field and greets fans after a game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Kinnick Stadium. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Brendan Sullivan has been preparing for his first start of the 2024 college football season with the Iowa Hawkeyes. He will lead his team against a very tough Wisconsin Badgers team.

With both teams sitting at 5-3, they are both looking to make themselves bowl eligible. It will be a very hard-fought game from both teams and should be a very entertaining matchup as well.

For Iowa, making the move from Cade McNamara to Sullivan has sparked excitement. After McNamara looked horrible to begin the year, Sullivan took over for him last week and helped lead the Hawkeyes to a huge 40-14 win over Northwestern.

This week, Sullivan will have a chance to prove that he should remain the starter moving forward.

Ahead of this big opportunity for Sullivan, he spoke out with his mindset. It's a mindset that fans will absolutely love.

"I think it's just the way I was raised, my dad taught me the game," Sullivan said. "To play with full effort, full confidence, and then just control the controllables. And so that's something I can control, is helping my guy get more yards, and that's gonna help the team out. I'm gonna do that every time."

Sullivan's mindset is just another sign of the team-first attitude and mentality that he has had throughout the entire season.

Fans have been calling for Kirk Ferentz to make the change from McNamara to Sullivan for a few weeks now. His ability to make plays on the ground will help open up the offense for star running back Kaleb Johnson.

No one should expect the passing game to all of a sudden become elite, but Sullivan is capable of throwing the ball. The offense as a whole should take a step forward with their new quarterback.

All of that being said, it will be very interesting to see how Sullivan looks in his first start of the season. If he can come through with a strong performance and lead Iowa to another win, the starting job could be his for the remainder of the year.

Should he struggle, it would open up a quarterback question again and there is a chance that McNamara could find his way back onto the field. Hopefully, Sullivan makes the most of this chance and looks like the upgrade under center that many expect him to be.