Four Downs — Iowa's 2016 quarterbacks

QUICK LOOK BACK: This all started with a January depth chart. OK, it started a couple of days after Iowa's disastrous showing in the TaxSlayer Bowl. Head coach Kirk Ferentz said the quarterback competition had been reopened during December bowl prep.

This was newsworthy. Jake Rudock started 25 of 26 games for two seasons. All of the sudden, the competition was opened. This played out rather definitively in the TaxSlayer. C.J. Beathard Beathard played 49 snaps and had 359 net yards, two turnovers and three touchdowns. Rudock had 19 snaps and produced 116 net yards, no turnovers and one touchdown.

A couple of days after the Jacksonville, Fla., game, Ferentz called Beathard and told him he was the starter for 2015. He called Rudock and said Beathard was the starter for 2015 and that was that and he should plan accordingly.

And then, just as in the movie 'Highlander,' there can be only one and that one was Beathard.

The move worked for all concerned. Beathard led the Hawkeyes to a 12-0 regular season, a Big Ten West Division title, a spot in the Big Ten title game and Iowa's first Rose Bowl berth in 25 years. Rudock transferred to Michigan and completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,015 yards, which rank as the second-best season marks in UM history.

Ferentz didn't offer much as far as pulling back the curtain on this decision. He talked about information and making the best decision for the team and believing that Beathard was ready for it, specifically mentioning a leadership component. But . . . it was such a departure. A two-year returning starter? Beathard finished second to Rudock twice in open competition? How did Ferentz go from there to there? He said it was a small circle of staffers in on the decision, but a full list of pros and cons was never offered and likely never will be.

At this point, who really cares? Timelines shift quickly in college football. This dead horse has been pounded into a fine mist.

Beathard came in and did things. His intangibles pulled the offense through. Toughness, enthusiasm, thirst for the big stage, X-and-O capacity, Beathard showed it all in 2015.

'Well, he's got an extremely quick arm,' offensive coordinator Greg Davis said. 'I was asked to describe that, and the best way I can describe it is from the time the mind says open until the ball leaves the hand it does not take him long. The ball comes out, he's a tough guy. He's very smart. He can extend plays. He can make plays with his feet.

'So, he's got a lot of the tools that you look for in outstanding quarterbacks. On top of all of that he's a winner.'

Overall QB numbers in the Ferentz era

2015 — C.J. Beathard 223 of 362 for 2,809 yards, 61.6 percent completions, 17 TDs, 5 INTs, 139.52 efficiency

2014 — Jake Rudock 213 of 345 for 2,436 yards, 61.7 percent completions, 16 TDs, 5 INTs, 133.46 efficiency

2013 — Jake Rudock 204 of 346 for 2,383 yards, 59 percent completions, 18 TDs, 13 INTs, 126.47 efficiency

2012 — James Vandenberg 223 of 389 for 2,249 yards, 57.3 percent completions, 7 TDs, 8 INTs, 107.72 efficiency

2011 — James Vandenberg 237 of 404 for 3,022 yards, 58.7 percent completions, 25 TDs, 7 INTs, 138.44 efficiency

2010 — Ricky Stanzi 221 of 345 for 3,004 yards, 64.1 percent completions, 25 TDs, 6 INTs, 157.63 efficiency

2009 — Ricky Stanzi 171 of 304 for 2,417 yards, 56.3 percent completions, 15 TDs, 15 INTs, 131.62 efficiency

2008 — Ricky Stanzi 150 of 254 for 1,956 yards, 59.1 percent completions, 14 TDs, 9 INTs, 134.35 efficiency

2007 — Jake Christensen 198 of 370 for 2,269 yards, 53.5 percent completions, 17 TDs, 6 INTs, 116.94 efficiency

2006 — Drew Tate 207 of 352 for 2,623 yards, 58.8 percent completions, 18 TDs, 13 INTs, 130.89 efficiency

2005 — Drew Tate 219 of 352 for 2,828 yards, 62.2 percent completions, 22 TDs, 7 INTs, 146.35 efficiency

2004 — Drew Tate 233 of 375 for 2,786 yards, 62.1 percent completions, 20 TDs, 14 INTs, 134.67 efficiency

2003 — Nathan Chandler 165 of 307 for 2,040 yards, 53.7 percent completions, 18 TDs, 10 INTs, 122.40 efficiency

2002 — Brad Banks 170 of 294 for 2,575 yards, 57.8 percent completions, 26 TDs, 5 INTs, 157.12 efficiency

2001 — Kyle McCann 167 of 252 for 2,028 yards, 66.3 percent completions, 16 TDs, 11 INTs, 146.09 efficiency

2000 — Trio II 230 of 404 for 2,580 yards, 56.9 percent completions, 16 TDs, 11 INTs, 118.20 efficiency

1999 — Trio I 202 of 376 for 2,275 yards, 53.7 percent completions, 6 TDs, 9 INTs, 105.03 efficiency

Trio I — Kyle McCann, Randy Reiners, Scott Mullen

Trio II — McCann, Mullen, Jon Beutjer

4th Down — Critical Questions

Well, health. Beathard had sports hernia surgery last week, according to his dad, Casey. The surgery was in Philadelphia, Pa., and was performed by Dr. William C. Meyers in Philadelphia, Pa. Meyers is nationally recognized as a pioneer in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of core muscle injuries. Casey Beathard called the surgery 'very successful.' Rehabilitation time was put in the neighborhood of six weeks, which probably leaves Beathard's status for spring practice up in the air at the very least.

It was an arthroscopic surgery. Beathard was required to walk a mile before he left the hospital. He showed up and sat in the Hawk's Nest with fellow students for Iowa basketball's victory over Purdue last Sunday, some three days after his surgery.

Everything sounds as if it's on course. There's no reason to believe it's not, at least right now. I wouldn't expect Beathard to do a lot in spring practice (perhaps the bigger deal for spring is sophomore center James Daniels' absence).

Sure, it'd be better if Beathard were taking reps and building rapport with a new group of receivers, but what the 6-2, 210-pounder did with his feet last fall was fairly important. It's a skill set you want Beathard to be in position to take full advantage of. The surgery was the first step toward that. The recovery will be the second.

Interceptions in the Ferentz era

2015 — 5

2014 — 7

2013 — 15 (13 Rudock)

2012 — 8

2011 — 8

2010 — 6

2009 — 20 (Stanzi 15)

2008 — 11

2007 — 7

2006 — 19 (Drew Tate 13)

2005 — 8

2004 — 14 (Tate 14)

2003 — 10 (Nathan Chandler 10)

2002 — 5

2001 — 13 (Kyle McCann 11)

2000 — 11

1999 — 9

3rd Down — Additions/Subtractions

Kind of at status quo here.

Redshirt freshmen Ryan Boyle and Drew Cook will come online but we'll get more into that in the next section. What are realistic expectations for them? It's going to be another learning year, but all three backups, including sophomore Tyler Wiegers will want to position themselves for Beathard's departure. Again, next section.

Nathan Stanley (6-4, 218) will be a first-year freshman this fall (if he signs next Wednesday as expected). Stanley completed 85 of 175 pass attempts for 1,628 yards with 15 touchdowns and 6 interceptions for Menomonie (Wis.), which finished 9-3 this season.

Here are some things his coach Joe LaBuda told HawkeyeReport.com about Stanley:

'He is one of the best quarterbacks in the Midwest. One of the reasons he choose Iowa is he gets along well with the coaching staff. His grandparents and mom are from Iowa so he has been an Iowa fan since he was younger. Wisconsin still is working hard on him and he had interest from Stanford, Michigan State, and Minnesota.'

And . . .

'He is one of the greatest athletes that I've been around and that includes when I was coaching in Florida. He is very athletic and is not just a big kid that can throw. That is evident watching him play other sports. Barring injury, he'll be our school's all-time leading scorer in basketball and that is a record from the 1950s. He can take off and dunk from the free throw line, hit the 3, and can handle the ball like a guard. I think he could have been a Division I basketball player if he had chosen to do so. He scored 38 points in our game on Friday. In baseball, he throws 91, 90 so he will be hearing from some MLB scouts. He has as strong of an arm that I've seen at the high school level and had one ball that he threw 72 yards for a touchdown. He has an amazing work ethic and is in the weight room at 6 a.m. every morning. He is a tremendous student.'

QB RUSHING

2015 — C.J. Beathard 100 carries, 237 yards, 6

TDs

2014 — Jake Rudock 67 carries, 176 yards, 3 TDs

2013 — Rudock 67 carries, 218 yards, 5 TDs

2012 — James Vandenberg 63 carries, 16 yards, 4 TDs

2011 — Vandenberg 78 carries, 61 yards, 3 TDs

2010 — Ricky Stanzi 48 carries, -6 yards, 2 TDs

2009 — Stanzi 55 carries, -31 yards, 0 TDs

2008 — Stanzi 56 carries, 20 yards, 0 TDs

2007 — Jake Christensen 99 carries, 0 yards, 1 TD

2006 — Drew Tate 49 carries, 124 yards, 0 TDs

2005 — Tate 44 carries, 114 yards, 1 TD

2004 — Tate 89 carries, -76 yards, 2 TDs

2003 — Nathan Chandler 89 carries, 138 yards, 6

TD

2002 — Brad Banks 81 carries, 423

yards, 5 TDs

2001 — Banks 41 carries, 151 yards, 2 TDs

Kyle McCann 58 carries, 78 yards, 3 TDs

2000 — McCann 56 carries, -23 yards, 1 TD

1999 — Scott Mullen 48 carries, 114 yards, 4 TDs

2nd Down — Battles Brewing

OK, now Boyle and Cook. And, I guess, Wiegers, who I think does hold an advantage over the two freshmen, having been in the system for three years now compared to two.

When Beathard missed practice time with what were the beginnings of the sports hernia last October, Wiegers jumped up and took No. 1 and some No. 2 reps in practice. Boyle also took No. 2 reps ahead of Cook. Davis said to not read anything into that.

'No, no. Boyle will work with the second group,' Davis said when asked last fall if Boyle had passed Cook. 'He did work with the second group and if we would have got to that situation, he would have played. But I wouldn't read a lot into that, quite honestly.'

Boyle and Cook are undeniably different body shapes. Boyle is 6-1, 215. He ran a read-option game at West Des Moines Dowling at an expert level and that's something he could see himself doing at Iowa (he couched this by saying that if it's something the coaches call or want to see).

Hold off on the 'Cook to TE' talk. I asked him during the Rose Bowl week and he's fully engaged as a QB. He's listed at 6-5, 220. He's getting pretty big, but that can work at QB, too. Iowa stands to get a pretty big boost at the TE spot with this signing class (three on the hook going into next week, and I think the timing is right for a reload), so I'm not sure how much Iowa needs Cook to be a TE, at least right now.

Wiegers is extremely bright, a pre-med student. He's also a big dude, 6-4, 222. I liked his arm last spring and summer. I don't think he can move like Beathard, at least from the tiny sample size we've seen. I sense a degree of confidence in and from Wiegers. I don't know if that amounts to anything, what I sense, but I think he's in good shape to progress. He stands a chance to have a spring to himself as a No. 1 QB. It would be huge for his development.

If I had to handicap the post-CJB QB race, I'd go 1) Wiegers, 2) Boyle, 3) Cook and 4) Stanley. Former Linn-Mar prep Ryan Schmidt (6-5, 220) will be a redshirt freshman this fall.

Returning quarterbacks — C.J. Beathard (6-2, 209, sr.), Tyler Wiegers (6-4, 222, so.), Ryan Boyle (6-1, 215, #fr.), Drew Cook (6-5, 220, #fr.), Ryan Schmidt (6-5, 220, #fr.)

Incoming quarterback — Nathan Stanley (6-4, 218, fr.)

Yards per attempt

2015 — Beathard 7.8 (individual) 7.8 (Iowa) 6.2 (opponents)

2014 — Rudock 7.1 (individual) 7.1 (Iowa) 6.5 (opponents)

2013 — Rudock 6.9 (individual) 6.8 (Iowa) 5.7 (opponents)

2012 — Vandenberg 5.8 (individual) 5.8 (Iowa) 7.5 (opponents)

2011 — Vandenberg 7.5 (individual) 7.4 (Iowa) 7 (opponents)

2010 — Stanzi 8.7 (individual) 8.5 (Iowa) 6.3 (opponents)

2009 — Stanzi 8 (individual) 7.4 (Iowa) 5.2 (opponents)

2008 — Stanzi 7.7 (individual) 7.4 (Iowa) 5.5 (opponents)

2007 — Christensen 6.1 (individual) 6.1 (Iowa) 6.5 (opponents)

2006 — Tate 7.5 (individual) 7.4 (Iowa) 6.4 (opponents)

2005 — Tate 8 (individual) 7.7 (Iowa) 6.9 (opponents)

2004 — Tate 7.4 (individual) 7.5 (Iowa) 5.7 (opponents)

2003 — Chandler 6.6 (individual) 6.5 (Iowa) 6.2 (opponents)

2002 — Banks 8.8 (individual) 8.7 (Iowa) 6.6 (opponents)

2001 — McCann 8 (individual) 8.1 (Iowa) 6.6 (opponents)

2000 — Mullen 6.2 (individual) 6.4 (Iowa) 7.8 (opponents)

1999 — Mullen 6.3 (individual) 6.1 (Iowa) 8.1 (opponents)

1st Down — In Summary

Five finishing thoughts on what needs to happen for the best-case scenario.

● Keep doing what you're doing, CJB. Oh, this simple statement is a lazy cop-out, huh?

OK, I went to @hawkeyegamefilm for some numbers that I knew he would have. (Still, you can argue lazy.)

Did you know that Beathard was pretty good with the 20-plus pass this year?

Beathard hit 8 of 15 20+ throws in '14, he also had a dropped TD by Damond Powell. In 2015, Beathard hit 18 of 49 20+ with 2 drops. His percent in 2015 (13.5 percent) was a tick off '14, which was 13.7 percent. Last season, Beathard had 7 TDs, 1 INT on 20+ throws. CJB's deep rating (passes targeted 20+) was around 20th nationally this season (148 efficiency).

I was all ready to write something about Beathard fine tuning his deep game. It wasn't bad.

● Good health for Beathard (duh).

● Along with the good health, I think Beathard can rush for 500 yards (that would be a KF era record, BTW).

● The aggressive attitude is there and the passing game came through in 2015 where it didn't in 2014.

I'll leave this Davis quote here (I asked him this during Rose Bowl week, about low percentage deep passes vs. going by the book): 'You know, there's times when defensively you need to throw it deep because of what they are doing. They're sitting on the sticks on third down. And they're playing situational football with you. So you've gotta break. Even though it's third-and-6, you'd like to throw it for seven because that keeps you on the field. That's high percentage. You've got to force yourself to push it down the field, knowing that you're probably going to have to leave the field. But it's something that you have to do. And so yeah, to answer your question, you've got to do it some, and you got to do it some when it's unexpected, you know, starting off the series, first down, you know, those situations.

'At the same time, every time you do that, you'll realize that percentage-wise you may have to leave the field.'

There's the struggle.

● Along with growing the vertical game, you saw what a healthy horizontal game could do for Iowa this year. Beathard and WR Matt VandeBerg (and TE Henry Krieger Coble, for that matter) moved the chains with simple quick passes and a WR screen game. Expect that to continue.

'A lot of times for us, those are runs,' Davis said. 'They're really not passes, even though the ball travels from C.J. I mean sometimes the team you're playing and the way they line up, you're going to have to have some four- and five-yard throws, and you have to understand that, OK, if we turn around and we hand it to LeShun [Daniels] and he makes five, then that's really a good play. And if you throw it to Matt and he makes five, that's the same play. It's the same play.

'But by doing that sometimes you are stretching the defense and the old axiom, well, 'we run to throw,' sometimes that is in reverse in a game plan, you're actually throwing to try to help the run.'

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com