IOWA CITY -- Iowa starter Cade McNamara has spent the majority of the last two years on the sidelines due to injury. On Saturday -- for the first time since his days as the Michigan starter -- McNamara started a game under center completely healthy.

Though he had his fair share of struggles in the first half against Illinois State, he once again looked like a solid starting quarterback in the Big Ten for the first time in a while.

"Honestly, it feels like a relief," he said at Tuesday's media availability. "It's been a tough two years for me, personally. For me to finally be out there, play the way I think I should play and have the impact I know I can have on the offense -- that felt really good."

Overall, he completed 21-of-31 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns -- and he left the contest unscathed.

"To come back Sunday morning and not have to go to the training room was a really good feeling," he said. "I felt a couple bruises for the first time in a long time, but it felt really good."

McNamara recognized a definitive point in Saturday's game where he felt like everything clicked for he and the Iowa offense.

"We went on a pretty solid drive at the end of the second quarter," he said. "I remember I completed two balls -- one to Luke (Lachey) on third down and one to Reece (Vander Zee) over the middle. Those two balls, I really felt like got my confidence going. I was like 'Okay, time to go now.'"

Though the drive finished in a field goal to make the score just 6-0 at half, McNamara could sense things had already shifted in their favor -- and it translated to the beginning of the third quarter with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Vander Zee.

"For us to find the endzone to start off the second half was huge for everyone," he said. "To be able to go down the field, throw together a really good drive -- I really think it sparked the second half."

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Something definitely sparked in the second half, not only culminating in points but resulting in one of the more sensational plays of McNamara's career. Late in the third quarter, he completed a 31-yard bomb to Zach Ortwerth after evading two would-be tacklers and launched a sidearm pass onto the fingertips of the sophomore tight end.

"That was a lot of freelance," McNamara laughed. "There was an original play, and that one broke down pretty fast. It was just kind of a natural play. Ort did an unbelievable job. He knew I was scrambling and he was able to adjust his original route. Where I put the ball -- I was leading him inside to stack the defender. That's what he did, and he made an unbelievable play."

For the most part, McNamara stays even-keeled during games. He let out some emotion after Ortwerth caught that pass.

"That one got me going," he smiled. "Plays like that when the offense is running and you're able to feel the momentum -- you feel the impact the crowd has on the game when big plays occur. That's a part of the game we love."

Though Kirk Ferentz wasn't in attendance for Iowa's big win on Saturday due to a self-imposed suspension for a recruiting violation, he was able to tell that McNamara has once again settled into the role of starting quarterback for his team.

"He was much cleaner in the second half," Ferentz said. "It was good to see him [play like that]. He looked relaxed and confident in the second half. Those are positive things. You can't hand that to a player. He's got to go out, experience and earn it."

Ferentz was anxiously waiting the breakthrough before it came against Illinois State.

"You just hoped it was coming," he said. "There were not guarantees on that one. ... You've got to taste some success. Credit to him for sticking with it, fighting through the first half that didn't go perfect. He came back and did some really good things in the second half. Hopefully with each day he's going to keep getting more confidence in himself."