Iowa QB battle: Kirk Ferentz addresses benching Cade McNamara for Brendan Sullivan

Iowa swapped Cade McNamara for Brendan Sullivan during the second quarter of the Hawkeyes’ 40-14 win over Northwestern on Saturday.

Sullivan, who played for Northwestern for two seasons, remainder under center for the rest of the matchup and had a modest performance under center for the Hawkeyes en route to their fifth win of the season. According to head coach Kirk Ferentz, he wasn’t just thrown into the lineup.

Despite making the move early and keeping with him the rest of the way, Ferentz wouldn’t commit to Sullivan as the Hawkeyes’ starting quarterback moving forward after the game.

“‘Permanent’ is a strong word, right?” Ferentz asked reporters after the Hawkeyes’ win. “We made the decision during the week we were going to rotate Brendan in a little bit on the third or fourth series. It just worked out that way. He did a really nice job. Cade was shaken up also after the hit he took.”

Sullivan finished the game 9 of 14 for 79 passing yards to go along with eight carries for 41 yards and an additional touchdown. He was the team’s second-leading rusher on the day.

It was a bit of a change for the Hawkeyes as McNamara, who is a pocket passer, has -73 career rushing yards (sack adjusted).

“That’s a clear contrast,” Ferentz said of Sullivan’s dual-threat abilities. “I think that’s one of Brendan’s strengths. He’s a really good athlete, really good at that. The other thing is he commanded the game. No matter what your style is as a quarterback, you have to do that. It was a good outing. I think we got into a little flow in the second half. That was certainly encouraging.

“There’s give-and-take with everything you do. Happy with the way he stepped in. Played with great poise. Didn’t think about it too much. Playing against his former team, you always worry about emotions a little bit. Didn’t worry too much about it. Didn’t seem to be a factor either.”

Whether Iowa will move forward with Sullivan under center, keep McNamara as the starter, or utilize both moving forward remains to be seen. It will likely be a hot topic of debate in Iowa City leading up to the Hawkeyes’ Week 10 battle against Wisconsin on Saturday.