Tag: McNamara

Quarterbacks Brendan Sullivan (1) Cade McNamara (12) and Marco Lainez (11) stand for a photo during Iowa football media day in Iowa City, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024.

Iowa QB Brendan Sullivan out, Cade McNamara back from injury

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Iowa quarterback Brendan Sullivan will miss the final two regular-season games and Cade McNamara will return from a two-game absence to replace him when the Hawkeyes visit Maryland on Saturday, according to multiple reports on Monday.

McNamara sustained a concussion against Northwestern on Oct. 26 and has missed the past two games.

Sullivan sustained a sprained ankle in the second half of a 20-17 loss to UCLA on Nov. 8. Walk-on Jackson Stratton finished up that contest with McNamara and Marco Lainez III (broken thumb) sidelined.

Sullivan passed for 344 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in parts of eight games this season. The Northwestern transfer has rushed for four touchdowns.

McNamara has thrown for 1,017 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games. He is in second season at Iowa after transferring Michigan.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara throws a pass against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Iowa QB Cade McNamara (concussion) out vs. Wisconsin

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara will miss Saturday’s game against Wisconsin due to a concussion.

McNamara sustained the head injury during last Saturday’s 40-14 home win over Northwestern. He exited in the second quarter.

McNamara took a hard hit on the play and “hit the turf pretty hard,” Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz said Tuesday.

Ferentz said McNamara is under close watch.

“As far as the severity and all that, my experience, and I’m certainly not qualified medically other than I listen to a lot of things and watch, seems like each and every one is a different discussion, so with some luck hopefully he’ll start turning the corner,” Ferentz said.

McNamara has completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 1,017 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions.

Brendan Sullivan, who replaced McNamara against Northwestern, will be the starter against the Badgers.

Sullivan completed 9 of 14 passes for 79 yards and rushed eight times for 41 yards and a touchdown against Northwestern, his former school.

Sullivan has rushed for three scores this season and Ferentz is hopeful that he will turn down his aggressiveness a bit as the starter against Wisconsin.

“I’d be fine if he slides,” Ferentz said. “If he’s going to run the ball, slide. I’m fine with that. If we had 10 quarterbacks I’d still ask him to do that. …

“But you can’t play scared, either. You’ve got to go out and play, and play the way you play.”

–Field Level Media

Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz talks to the team following the Kids Day at Kinnick scrimmage Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, assistant suspended one game

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr were suspended for one game for violations tied to the recruitment and transfer of a player, the university confirmed Thursday.

The university did not name the player, but multiple outlets identified quarterback Cade McNamara, a Michigan transfer, as the subject of the NCAA inquiry that Ferentz said was his “first potential Level II violation.”

The Hawkeyes open the 2024 season at home against Illinois State on Aug. 31. The suspension takes effect at 12:01 a.m. that day and lasts for 24 hours. Ferentz and Budmayr will be allowed to participate in all team activities before and after that window.

Assistant head coach Seth Wallace will serve as the interim coach in the opener.

Ferentz has been Iowa’s head coach since 1999 and is the longest-tenured coach in the FBS.

“I tell our players we abide by the rules, and in this specific case I did not do that,” Ferentz, 69, told reporters Thursday. “I made a mistake during the recruiting process. I want to apologize to our players, coaching staff, university leadership and our incredible fans.

“Twenty-six years as a head coach, this is first potential Level II violation that I’ve had. That won’t happen again.”

Ferentz has a 196-119 record at Iowa, a record number of wins for an Iowa coach. He ranks third al time in the Big Ten for conference wins (122).

The self-imposed punishment came after discussion with the NCAA and also includes the loss of one week of off-campus recruiting.

“Coach Ferentz and I made the decision to self-impose the penalties, allowing the program to move forward without distraction,” athletic director Beth Goetz said. “I appreciate the accountability demonstrated and we will continue to fully cooperate with the NCAA through this process. I have confidence in Coach Ferentz and his leadership, and we look forward to turning our focus to the opening game and exciting season that lies ahead.”

Ferentz said the player, unnamed by Iowa, is not subject to any penalties and remains eligible.

McNamara transferred from Michigan to Iowa in December 2022, and the university statement Thursday said the recruiting violation occurred in late 2022 with communication between a player and his family before he entered the transfer portal.

Michigan’s starting quarterback in 2021, McNamara was named offensive captain to begin the 2022 season with the Wolverines.

He was named the Wolverines’ starting quarterback, but a season-ending knee injury Sept. 17 cleared the path for J.J. McCarthy to guide Michigan back to the College Football Playoff.

McNamara led Michigan to its first College Football Playoff appearance in 2021, bringing a Big Ten title to Ann Arbor for the first time since 2004. Michigan was 12-2.

Budmayr is a former Big Ten quarterback — at Wisconsin — before he served on the Badgers’ coaching staff. He was an offensive analyst for the Hawkeyes in 2022 and special assistant to Ferentz in 2023.

–Field Level Media

Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara warms up before scrimmaging during Kids' Day at Kinnick at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Iowa City, Iowa

Starter worry? Hawkeyes QB Cade McNamara not back from injury

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cade McNamara missed practice for the 11th consecutive day with a leg injury, and the Iowa starting quarterback isn’t the only player at the position hurting.

Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz said Wednesday that McNamara — dealing with a leg muscle issue since the team’s Aug. 12 scrimmage — might be cleared to join the team on the field by the end of this week. If so, it would give him ample time to prepare for the season opener. Iowa hosts Utah State on Sept. 2.

“The good news is I think he has a chance to start working in towards the end of this week,” Ferentz said. “Certainly by next Monday when we hit the field thinking about our opponent … we’ll know more at the end of the week, but I’m optimistic and we’ll see.”

McNamara’s backup, Joe Labas, has also been idle with injuries. Wisconsin transfer Deacon Hill, who has never thrown a pass in a college game, is the lone healthy quarterback in fall camp. Labas was 10 of 24 in Iowa’s Music City Bowl victory.

McNamara was hurt scrambling away from pressure outside of the pocket during the public scrimmage.

The Michigan transfer landed in Iowa City in December. He began the 2022 season as the Wolverines’ starting quarterback, but a season-ending knee injury Sept. 17 cleared the path for J.J. McCarthy to guide Michigan back to the College Football Playoff.

McNamara led Michigan to its first College Football Playoff appearance in 2021, also bringing a Big Ten title to Ann Arbor for the first time since 2004. Michigan was 12-2.

McNamara, named an offensive captain in August 2022, started the opener against Colorado State on Sept. 3.

–Field Level Media

Sep 3, 2022; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Cade McNamara (12) passes against the Colorado State Rams at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Iowa lands Michigan transfer QB Cade McNamara

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Iowa appears to have found its starting quarterback for 2023, as former Michigan starter Cade McNamara announced Thursday night that he is committed to the Hawkeyes.

McNamara entered the transfer portal earlier this week.

“New beginning,” McNamara tweeted along with a mock-up of himself in an Iowa uniform.

McNamara led Michigan to its first College Football Playoff appearance in 2021. The Wolverines won their first Big Ten title since 2004 and finished the season 12-2.

However, in the second game of the 2022 season, McNamara lost his starting job to sophomore J.J. McCarthy, a five-star recruit in the 2021 class who has the Wolverines on the brink of a second straight CFP appearance.

McNamara, named an offensive captain in August, started the opener against Colorado State on Sept. 3 and was 9 of 18 for 136 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown pass to Roman Wilson, before McCarthy took over the job.

After getting hurt in the Wolverines’ Sept. 17 game against UConn, McNamara subsequently underwent knee surgery.

McNamara played in 21 games at Michigan and completed 267 passes for 3,181 yards, with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He added two rushing TDs.

Iowa (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) has needed help at quarterback. Spencer Petras was the Hawkeyes’ starter in 2022, and he threw for 1,725 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions while completing just 55.9 percent of his throws, all while Iowa ranked 130th of 131 FBS programs in total offense (255.4 yards per game).

Petras is playing his final year of NCAA eligibility, and backup Alex Padilla entered the transfer portal earlier this week.

McNamara will have two seasons of eligibility remaining due to a redshirt and the NCAA’s decision to add a year of eligibility because of COVID-19.

–Field Level Media

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback Cade McNamara celebrate a touchdown against Iowa during the first half of the Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. Syndication Detroit Free Press

Jim Harbaugh on Michigan’s two-QB system: ‘It’s really biblical’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jim Harbaugh is doing things by the book at Michigan.

In granting the Wolverines’ top two quarterbacks each a start to begin the regular season, Harbaugh delayed naming a No. 1 quarterback after considering biblical guidance.

Cade McNamara will start for No. 8 Michigan against Colorado State on Saturday. Sophomore J.J. McCarthy gets the nod Sept. 10 against Hawaii.

Harbaugh said both quarterbacks will play in each game.

“No person, that’s biblical, no person knows what the future holds,” Harbaugh said Monday. “It’s a process and it’s going to be based on performance, but we’re not going to withhold any good thing. Both have been tremendous quarterbacks. We think that both are capable of leading our team to a championship.”

McNamara was the starter for the Wolverines in 2021 on the way to Michigan’s outright conference championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff. Harbaugh said McNamara was “arguably one of the most improved players on the team” following a season in which he amassed 2,576 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions.

McCarthy was a top-25 overall recruit but an injured throwing shoulder limited his availability this spring. He came off the bench to play in 11 games in 2021.

The quarterbacks made a decision difficult on the Wolverines’ coaching staff, Harbaugh said, adding he believes both are ready to lead the team to a championship if their number is called.

“Some people have asked, ‘How did you come to that decision? Was it based on some kind of NFL model?’” Harbaugh said. “No, it’s really based biblical. Solomon, he was known to be a pretty wise person.”

–Field Level Media