Hawkeyes' passing game remains stuck in the mud

IOWA CITY — If football were the elections, the Hawkeyes would be answering one question on the election trail.

Why is the passing game so ineffectual?

After Iowa's 17-9 loss to No. 10 Wisconsin on Saturday, that's the question ringing in everyone's ears.

Quarterback C.J. Beathard completed 17 of 33 for 153 yards. That's an average of 9.0 yards per completion. At 11.7 yards, Iowa was No. 89 in the nation going into Saturday. Oregon State is No. 128 at 8.6. So, that's a bottom-of-everything number. Iowa has passed for more than 200 yards just twice this season. The 20 sacks Iowa has allowed hasn't helped matters, either (including two against the Badgers).

'Somehow, some way, we're going to have to push that over the top,' Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. 'I think it's us growing a little more and getting our timing down a little better. We'll continue to look at ways to free some guys up or find some easier throws. Ultimately, I think we have to execute a little bit better.'

Before this discussion goes too far, the personnel Iowa had available against Wisconsin needs to be addressed. Tight end George Kittle, a go-to receiver, tried to play with an ankle injury and toughed it out for a half. Iowa has now played four games without wide receiver Matt VandeBerg, who suffered a broken foot Sept. 26 and is likely out for the season.

They were the last two from the Hawkeyes' top six receivers from 2015.

'I think we can get better,' Ferentz said. 'I guess I'm an optimist, but that's how I look at it.'

Iowa's longest pass play was a 21-yarder to running back Akrum Wadley that traveled maybe 6 air yards. Wadley was a check down option on the play and made something out of nothing. Wadley also ended up being Iowa's leading receiver with seven catches for 72 yards.

Given the personnel, Wadley was Iowa's best and most viable playmaker. Senior wide receiver Riley McCarron, who's been VandeBerg's replacement, again maximized his skills, catching six passes for 47 yards. Since VandeBerg was hurt, McCarron has caught 24 passes for 261 yards, 10.87 yards per catch.

Also since VandeBerg's injury, sophomore wide receivers Jerminic Smith and Jay Scheel have combined to catch nine passes for 121 yards. Iowa's wide receiver rotation goes no farther than McCarron, Smith and Scheel. True freshman tight end Noah Fant has made strides and could make a push for more targets in the four games after next week's bye.

'I don't think it's personnel or anything like that,' said McCarron, whose longest play Saturday was 11 yards. 'We definitely have the guys who are capable. The plays are out there, we just need to finish. We're not doing that on third down. That's a big part of the game, keeping drives alive on third down.'

The plays were out there against Wisconsin. Early in the second quarter, Scheel just got his fingertips on a deep ball down the Iowa sideline. Scheel got both hands on the ball, but it slipped through. On the next play, it looked as if Beathard wanted to throw a screen pass to Wadley. Wisconsin flooded the area. Beathard lofted a pass that Wadley couldn't gather.

'The one to Jay, I thought it was a good call and he put a little double move on him,' Beathard said. 'At first, I thought he caught it, but then I saw it hit the ground. We'd like to convert those, catch those. We just missed.'