Iowa Hawkeyes Set to Make Another QB Change for Bowl Game

The Iowa Hawkeyes are set to have another quarterback change for their bowl game against Missouri.

Nov 8, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Brendan Sullivan (1) warms up prior to the game against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes are gearing up for their final game of the season on December 30. They will take on the Missouri Tigers in the Music City Bowl to close out their 2024 campaign.

It has been a rollercoaster ride of a season, to say the least.

At times, Iowa has been viewed as a potential contender in the Big Ten. In other moments, they were fighting for their bowl eligibility.

When all was said and done, the Hawkeyes ended up with an 8-4 record.

One of the biggest issues all season long as been the quarterback situation. Cade McNamara began the year as the starter, but he did not play well at all. Brendan Sullivan was given a chance, but an injury put him out for awhile and made Jackson Stratton step in as the starter.

Now, with just one game remaining, Iowa is set to make another quarterback change.

Stratton has been the starter over the last couple of games, but he does not appear likely to be the starter against Missouri. It sounds like Sullivan will get back on the field and take over the starting job once again.

Kirk Ferentz recently spoke out about his quarterback situation and all but named Sullivan as his starter.

“Yeah, we’ll let that go. Yeah, we’ll let them both practice and see what happens. If I had a guess right now, I’d probably say Brendan will be the starter, but we’ll see. We’ll let them both work and see how it all goes,” Ferentz said.

So far this season, Sullivan has completed 68.6 percent of his pass attempts for 344 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also picked up 144 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

All of that being said, Sullivan probably gives the Hawkeyes the best chance to win. Unfortunately, he will be facing an uphill battle.

Kaleb Johnson, the team's star running back and the centerpiece of the offense, will not be playing in the bowl game. He has opted to enter the NFL Draft and sit out of the game to avoid any injury risk.

Iowa has already struggled this season offensively with Johnson on the field. Without him, things could get ugly.

Hopefully, Sullivan is able to come out strong and help the Hawkeyes compete. Next season, Hank Brown seems likely to be the starting quarterback, but Sullivan will be back and could turn some heads for the job with a strong performance in the Music City Bowl.