Beathard’s season that was and wasn’t

IOWA CITY - Iowa played a quarterback this season who improved his numbers across the board. And then Iowa had a quarterback the outside world fell in love with.

Of course, they're not the same player. Junior Jake Rudock was the starter and the numbers he put up compared to 2013, his first season as Iowa's No. 1 QB, were night and day, including shaving off eight interceptions and completing five percent more of his passes. The QB everyone wants to talk about, however, is sophomore C.J. Beathard.

Rudock has been in charge after a hip pointer derailed him for one game in late September, but in a 37-34 overtime loss to Nebraska in Iowa's season finale, he had a bit of a rough ride, with an interception in the Huskers' end zone and two misses on long passes that would've allowed Iowa to put points on the board that might've put away Nebraska.

So, going into the Hawkeyes' TaxSlayer Bowl matchup with Tennessee (6-6), head coach Kirk Ferentz was asked about possible re-evaluation of the QB position. He didn't shut the door. He could've. The on-the-field evidence shows that the door has been shut, but Ferentz didn't say that on Sunday night.

'We're a 7-5 football team. We're looking to get better and that leaves everything open for discussion and most importantly open to competition,” Ferentz said. 'For the most part, everybody's positions are up and we'll see how this month transpires.”

Why not shut the door? Rudock has played well enough, but Beathard attracted a lot of positive attention for his performances.

Beathard led Iowa to a second-half comeback at Pitt, driving Iowa to three scores that produced the Hawkeyes' first road win after trailing by 10 or more points in the second half during Ferentz's 16 seasons. With Rudock battling the hip injury, Beathard started at Purdue the next week and again led Iowa to a win.

Going into the Indiana game on Oct. 11, with Rudock fully healthy and ready to return, Ferentz left the door open at QB, saying 'Every player has a resume, whether it be what they're doing on the field, their academic work, their citizenship, and we keep close track of that from start to finish. Yet this is a results-driven activity, so it's about what you're doing and what you're projected to do.”

Rudock answered the call and completed 19 of 27 for 210 yards and two TDs. Beathard steered the bus nicely for a few series, but by the end of the first quarter, Rudock had two TD passes, including a 72-yarder to wide receiver Damond Powell, and a pass efficiency of 239.56.

The Indiana performance seemed to answer any questions for Ferentz. Rudock was Iowa's starter and that was that. From Northwestern week to the end of the season, the QB question went from taking up the majority of Ferentz's news conferences to eight words and finally to one flat 'no” when asked on his radio show if Beathard would play.

Since his start at Purdue, Beathard has thrown just 21 passes and didn't take a snap against Wisconsin or Nebraska, Iowa's final two games.

Why the fascination with Beathard? The sample size is certainly much greater with Rudock, so the possible blemishes haven't had a chance to show. And then there was, of course, some of the throws that Beathard made.

After the Pitt game, Iowa offensive coordinator Greg Davis referred to the 10-yard pass Beathard completed on a third-and-7. Under pressure, Beathard let go of a laser to tight end Ray Hamilton for a 10-yard gain and a first down.

'He made a third down conversion in that ballgame that was pretty special,” Davis said. 'They brought a blitz and did a nice job with the hot receiver and he reset his feet and found the second receiver. It was a big-time play. There is no denying it. It was a big-time play.”

Another part of the fascination with Beathard is the shifting narrative. Last spring, Ferentz and Davis said Beathard would see meaningful snaps and not just mop-up duty. There were never any promises, but Ferentz said this: 'If there's an intelligent way to use him and use that idea and concept, we'll do it. What we don't want to do is screw up our team, take away the rhythm of what we're doing, those type of things. I think a big part of that will be the mind-set we take, but the first part is we have to be convinced what we see is going to help us move the ball and score points. That's the only reason to do it. We're not trying to keep C.J. happy or any of that stuff. We're not trying to entertain people. Or create a controversy, that too. I haven't thought about that option. If it's going to help us be tougher to defend, then I think - and I think it has that potential - so that's what we're kind of working through.”

In Iowa's first two games, Beathard saw one series, completing 2 of 3 and nearly hitting a 38-yard TD pass to Damond Powell in the first quarter against Ball State. Beathard didn't see the field again until Rudock's injury and the second half at Pittsburgh.

In his few series against Indiana, Beathard ran the ball four times and suffered a hip pointer. He could've played the next week against Maryland, but didn't. There was some talk at halftime, but it didn't work out, Beathard said.

'I'm all right with it,” Beathard said before Iowa's 48-7 victory over Northwestern. 'It's been frustrating at times. I have to keep the faith that it's all going to work out. You have to be positive in everything and make the best out of every opportunity you have.”

There's fascination with the bouncing narrative and with the future. Rudock will be a senior next season and Beathard a junior. The narrative that stuck was Iowa had two good quarterbacks it really liked.

'It's one of those rare things where we have two really good players who we have a lot of faith and confidence in,” Ferentz said.

The natural follow-up to that was do you expect to have the comfort of two experienced quarterbacks next year?

'Time will tell,” Ferentz said.

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