What Kirk Ferentz said about Brendan Sullivan, other Iowa injuries after UCLA loss

PASADENA, Calif. — Iowa quarterback Brendan Sullivan suffered an ankle sprain in Iowa’s 20-17 loss to UCLA on Friday, head coach Kirk Ferentz said after the game.

“So hopefully we’ll know more next week,” Ferentz said.

Sullivan’s injury, along with Cade McNamara and Marco Lainez’s previous injuries, meant the Hawkeyes essentially had to call on fourth-string quarterback Jackson Stratton with the game on the line.

Ferentz said Stratton has done “a heck of a job,” especially considering his lack of practice opportunities over the last two months.

“He got to run the offense in August, but since the season started, he really has been on the scout team,” Ferentz said of the walk-on who transferred from Colorado State.

Sullivan already did not have his best game before the injury, going 6-of-9 for 157 passing yards while turning the ball over three times — two interceptions and one fumble lost.

“Both teams did a poor job of protecting the football,” Ferentz said.

Iowa has the benefit of another 15 days before its next game for McNamara and Sullivan to recover from their respective injuries. (Lainez’s hand injury from last month required surgery, so the bye week likely will not be as influential for his recovery.)

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McNamara — unlike some of Iowa’s other players who were out like tight end Addison Ostrenga and wide receiver Reece Vander Zee — did not make the trip with the team to Pasadena.

“Cade was able to do some exertion at the end of the week, which is encouraging,” Ferentz said.

Other injuries

Ostrenga has a “realistic chance” to play on Nov. 23 against Maryland, Ferentz said. Vander Zee’s status has “a little bit more gray area.”

On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Jay Higgins has a “tissue issue.”

“He tried to go back in,” Ferentz said. “Then just watching him come off the field after that possession, I couldn’t imagine him covering another pass. So hopefully it’s not too bad.”

Jaden Harrell took over for the All-American at middle linebacker and had two tackles and one quarterback hurry.

“Jaden Harrell came in, he stepped up and he made some big-time plays for us,” fellow linebacker Nick Jackson said. “So we kept the ball rolling. But obviously it’s Jay Higgins. Of course, you’re going to miss him.”

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