Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz reacted to the news of quarterback Cade McNamara’s season-ending ACL injury on Tuesday.
“It’s not good, not positive,” Ferentz said. “We were suspicious of that the other night. He’s got an ACL injury so that’s going to have to be repaired and he’ll be out for the season. He’ll stay with the team and be supportive and continue to be part of the team.”
McNamara suffered the injury in the Hawkeyes’ 26-16 win over the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday. He was carted off the field after a hit in the second quarter.
McNamara was the Hawkeyes’ starting quarterback in the first four games of the season. He threw for 874 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions.
Iowa will now turn to backup quarterback Alex Padilla. Padilla has played in two games this season, throwing for 145 yards and one touchdown.
“Alex is a good football player,” Ferentz said. “He’s been here for a while. He knows the system. He’s had some playing time. We’re confident in him.”
The Hawkeyes are scheduled to play the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Saturday.
Analysis
McNamara’s injury is a major blow to the Hawkeyes. He was one of the team’s leaders and most experienced players.
Padilla will now have to step up and lead the Hawkeyes’ offense. He is a talented quarterback, but he has limited experience.
It will be interesting to see how the Hawkeyes’ offense performs without McNamara. They have a number of talented skill players, but they will need Padilla to play well in order to be successful.
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