Deacon Hill ministers to Hawkeyes’ immediate need at QB, but he’ll need help

IOWA CITY — Barring a stunningly swift recovery of an injury that looked plenty serious, Cade McNamara will remain more a concept at Iowa this year than a reality.

The “Next Man In” slogan that can seem overworked in team sports is true all the same. The Deacon Hill Age started Saturday night at Kinnick Stadium in a tough spot that stayed tough, but not too tough to overcome in the Hawkeyes’ sweat-soaked 26-16 win.

The “Black Out” attire Iowa requested of its fans only added to a funereal atmosphere under a nearly full moon early in the second half. Running back LeShon Williams’ fumble was scooped and returned 42 yards for a touchdown by Michigan State linebacker Cal Haladay, and the Hawkeyes were suddenly behind 16-10.

McNamara already was a memory at that point, having injured his left knee on Iowa’s second drive of the night. He scrambled out of his team’s end zone to avoid a safety, but landed awkwardly at the 2. He couldn’t put any weight on his left leg or bend the knee.

"I don't want to speculate, but it always is concerning when a guy has to get helped off the field,“ Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said.

It was no time for a “That’s football,” yet that is football.

Fifty-four weeks before, McNamara injured his other knee and had surgery that autumn. The recovery cost him spring practice at Iowa. A quad injury in August cost him practice time leading up to the season-opener. In a warped way, all that helped his new team.

That’s because it got Hill, who transferred here from Wisconsin without throwing a pass for the Badgers, a lot of work with the first team. He got real first-team work Saturday night, with more to come.

It wasn’t storybook stuff, but he’s 1-0. Hill’s first two full possessions were three-and-outs. The next drive, he hit tight end Erick All three times for a total of 62 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown, and Iowa led 10-6.

The going got bumpy again. This is the Hawkeyes’ offense, after all.

Down 16-10 with those 13 minutes left, Iowa’s defense did its thing and Hill didn’t mess up anything. Drew Stevens hit two field goals. Cooper DeJean had a sensational 70-yard punt return for an Iowa lead with 3:45 left, and Stevens added three more late points for sealant.

McNamara was the program’s offseason story. Hill is now its quarterback.

“It was pretty surreal,” said Hill. “Especially a night game at Kinnick. That’s what dreams are made of.”

Deacon Pe’a Hill hadn’t played in a game in which the score was kept since the spring of 2021 when he played in a short season for the Santa Barbara (Calif.) High Dons. His 2020 fall season was COVID-ed out.

He entered the NCAA transfer portal in midseason last year after Wisconsin fired coach Paul Chryst. He came to Iowa knowing he’d be an apprentice for McNamara. He is an apprentice no more.

“I thought he showed good poise out there,” Ferentz said. “Played with confidence. And his teammates, you could see they rallied around him.”

One was All, who as a collegian had played almost exclusively with McNamara as his quarterback here and at Michigan.

“It was weird at first to look back and see Deac throwing me the ball,” All said, “but a ball is a ball.”

Michigan State came here having scored a total of 16 points over its last two games. It allowed averages of 537 yards and 36 points in those thumpings from Washington and Maryland.

Iowa gained 222 yards against the Spartans, averaged 2.3 yards per rush. It never ends.

Hill comes from a family of athletes, parents and siblings. Sister Abbi is a senior enjoying a terrific career on UCLA’s women’s water polo team, a sport Deacon himself once played. It’s no game for the passive.

Iowa lists the 6-foot-3 Hill at 258 pounds, which isn’t a conventional quarterback size. He looks like he already is a master of the quarterback sneak. After that, there will be nowhere to hide.

“For him to get out there and play successfully tonight and lead us to a victory, it should be good for his confidence,” Ferentz said. “All that being said, there’s a lot of work to do.”

No matter the quarterback, you can’t keep posting 222 yards and one offensive touchdown per game and expect many more happy returns, pun intended.

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com