IOWA CITY — After another listless performance in the 32-20 loss to Michigan State, there's no hiding the obvious: the Iowa pass offense is not where it needs to be, and it starts with sixth-year quarterback and team captain Cade McNamara.
"Cade has to play better, certainly the first half in particular," said head coach Kirk Ferentz at his Tuesday press conference. "Really nothing on offense was good enough for us to be -- we dug a hole that was too deep, quite frankly, and everybody had a hand in it, but offense certainly has responsibility. Cade is going to have to throw the ball a little bit more accurately."
McNamara was 11-for-23 for 150 yards, with a touchdown and an interception in Saturday's loss. Among Big Ten quarterbacks, McNamara's 118.3 passer rating is better than only Michigan's and Northwestern's struggle buses, and those two programs have at least been more eager to try backup quarterbacks in search of an answer — albeit without much in the way of positive results.
Ferentz has long advocated for patience with his quarterback, who spent most of the last two seasons rehabbing from a series of leg injuries and surgeries. While McNamara asserts that his legs feel better than ever — "throughout my career, I haven't been able to break tackles or do things in the pocket that I've already done this season," he said Tuesday — the time away from the field appears to still be hindering Iowa's starting QB.
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"Cade has to play better, certainly the first half in particular," said head coach Kirk Ferentz at his Tuesday press conference. "Really nothing on offense was good enough for us to be -- we dug a hole that was too deep, quite frankly, and everybody had a hand in it, but offense certainly has responsibility. Cade is going to have to throw the ball a little bit more accurately."
McNamara was 11-for-23 for 150 yards, with a touchdown and an interception in Saturday's loss. Among Big Ten quarterbacks, McNamara's 118.3 passer rating is better than only Michigan's and Northwestern's struggle buses, and those two programs have at least been more eager to try backup quarterbacks in search of an answer — albeit without much in the way of positive results.
Ferentz has long advocated for patience with his quarterback, who spent most of the last two seasons rehabbing from a series of leg injuries and surgeries. While McNamara asserts that his legs feel better than ever — "throughout my career, I haven't been able to break tackles or do things in the pocket that I've already done this season," he said Tuesday — the time away from the field appears to still be hindering Iowa's starting QB.
Ferentz, McNamara Face Critical Juncture with QB Situation
There's no hiding the obvious: the Iowa pass offense is not where it needs to be, and it starts with Cade McNamara.
