A wobbly fall camp and rustiness from last season's knee injury didn't prevent Cade McNamara from winning Iowa's starting quarterback job. McNamara will play his first game in 11 months on Saturday when the No. 25 Hawkeyes face FCS program Illinois State at Iowa City, Iowa.
McNamara tore the ACL in his left knee last Sept. 30 against Michigan State. He was cleared to resume football activities in June and held off a challenge from Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan in fall camp.
"It's been a long time," McNamara told reporters on Tuesday. "I've been really anticipating this, really ever since surgery. I've been working for this week and just putting my body and my mind in the best position to help out the team.
" McNamara passed for 505 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions last season prior to the injury. McNamara played for Michigan from 2020-22 prior to transferring to Iowa. However, Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz jumped the gun in seeking McNamara's services and contacted him prior to the quarterback entering the transfer portal.
That led to an NCAA violation and one-game suspension that Ferentz will serve on Saturday. Assistant head coach Seth Wallace will serve as Iowa's head coach. It will be the first time someone other than College Hall of Famer Hayden Fry or Ferentz has coached the Hawkeyes since Nov.
25, 1978, at Michigan State. "We have a good leadership group here, and they'll do great," said Ferentz, in his 26th season as the Iowa head coach. "There's g.