The two-deeps were released for the upcoming Minnesota game this weekend, and Spencer Petras did not make the list. The starter for Saturday’s game will be Alex Padilla, with redshirt freshman Deuce Hogan serving as the backup. This announcement comes as a slight surprise, given Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said Petras would go, if healthy, for this week’s home game. However, the change of position serves as more of an indication that the Petras injury might be more than originally known. He exited the Northwestern game after three quick series, only gaining one first down. His accuracy was off, and he looked uncomfortable in the pocket. The move to Padilla felt as though Iowa had seen enough of their starter, but Petras’ shoulder injury was the main factor at play. This transition in signal callers ultimately produced the first Iowa win in nearly a month.
Petras’ Shoulder Injury
After taking a hit against the Badgers, Petras appeared to have injured his shoulder. Padilla entered the game late in the contest to finish the losing effort, but not much was thought of the apparent injury. Petras’ status for Northwestern seemed probable, and there were no reports to indicate he wouldn’t play. Players inside the locker room had clues that suggested otherwise. Following the game against Northwestern, running back Tyler Goodson confirmed to the press that Petras was indeed dealing with that shoulder injury leading up to their game at Ryan Field. He stated that the team had known all week that Petras’ status would be questionable. On his first three drives, Petras was two of four. His two incompletions were thrown very short of the intended target. It was clear that he wasn’t 100%, so the offense made the move to Padilla.
In Ferentz’ sideline interview at halftime of the Northwestern game, he said Petras couldn’t play effectively, but the game plan remained the same. With Padilla taking the snaps, the healthy quarterback made the difference. Iowa’s offense appeared to come to life, and they scored on Padilla’s first two drives. Although the offense was running the same game plan, the results were much different. The instant success of the offense was a spark of momentum that they hadn’t seen in over three weeks.
Iowa Depth Chart Features Padilla, Hogan
In Saturday’s rivalry game against Minnesota, the Iowa depth chart features Padilla and Hogan at the quarterback position for the first time all year. Padilla will get his first start as an Iowa Hawkeye, and Hogan will be number two. Padilla is coming off of a solid performance on the road, completing 64% of his passes. He manufactured three scoring drives, which was more than Iowa’s two previous games combined. The sophomore has promise, and his ability to move out of the pocket adds another dynamic piece to the offense. He involved the young receivers Keagan Johnson and Arland Bruce IV a lot in Evanston. The continued use of these young stars will play a big role in the Hawkeye offense. Padilla has already shown he can get them the ball, and good things have come from it. The former three-star from Cherry Creek High School in Colorado will have the chance to win the Floyd of Rosedale trophy in his first start in front of a home crowd.
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