By Jordan Hansen
It sure feels like Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard has been around for a long time.
His first significant time was in 2013 against Wisconsin, coming in relief of Jake Rudock, and he had a fairly terrible day — 4-15 passing for 70 yards and an interception.
Of course, a widely covered quarterback race followed that season, and though Rudock won the job for the 2014 season, Beathard still got a little playing time. It wasn’t a lot, however, and coming into 2015, he had just one career start.
Even so, for as little as he played, it seemed everyone knew his name.
“Going into this season a lot of people assumed he was a veteran player,” Ferentz said at Big Ten media days. “Last year is really his first year playing. … I thought he did a wonderful job. Showed a lot of poise, a lot of mental toughness out there.
“A lot of great leadership.”
Beathard, by just about any definition, had a good season in 2015. Second-team All-Big Ten, 2,809 passing yards, 23 total touchdowns against just 5 picks, and, of course, the cherry on top — a 12-2 record (with an undefeated regular season) that included a berth in the Rose Bowl.
Oh, and he did it on a groin injury that required surgery after the season. Beathard is about as tough as they come, and his cool head led Iowa throughout the season. He came in and did what he had to do in his first year truly leading the team.
It certainly isn’t unprecedented, but it is impressive.
Now, he faces an even more difficult task — proving last year, or at least parts of it, can be repeated. With that said, Beathard isn’t worried about the expectations people are starting to attempt to pile on him.
“To be honest, I don’t care what people on the outside, what their expectations are,” he said. “All I care is about what the coaches and our teammates think.”
It’s a reasonable response, and honestly, what else would you expect him to say? It’s a tough situation to be in. There is not a small number of people who believe Iowa was a “phony” team (to use some of Colin Cowherd’s vernacular) and only got a 12-0 regular season because of a weak schedule.
The retort Beathard gave, of course, is that it’s hard to maintain an unblemished regular season, regardless of who the team faces. Which is fair. But also does not change the fact there’s a lot riding on this season.
Beathard is a potential draft pick, and with another good season, he could make himself a good deal of money at the next level. He has quite a bit of mobility, plus a fairly accurate arm, both of which are highly valued at any level of completion.
He just has to show his game has advanced from last season. Beathard’s progression as a football player has been obvious over the years, and if he can stay healthy, there shouldn’t be a limit on what he can do.
“We ask our quarterbacks, speaking traditionally, to do a lot,” Ferentz said. “He’s always had good talent and skills … so he had some physical and mental maturity, but with all good players you start to see that come together … it’s certainly happened with C.J.”
