In Iowa's 27-24 loss to No. 19 Missouri in the Music City Bowl, junior quarterback Brendan Sullivan had a major opportunity to solidify himself as the Hawkeyes' definitive starter heading into the spring.
On Friday, he told media that he was well aware that offensive coordinator Tim Lester was shopping for an additional quarterback in the portal.
"Coach Lester has been super transparent," Sullivan said. "It's the name of the game these days. You've got to compete. If you're scared of competing, then you shouldn't be playing the game. So I'm here, staying, playing for Iowa, and I'm going to continue to compete to the best of my abilities."
Despite finishing 14-of-18 for 131 yards and a touchdown through the air, Sullivan also threw a critical interception, took an unnecessary late sack, and missed a fourth and one conversion on a QB sneak that cost Iowa a chance at the victory.
All that to say, the Northwestern transfer likely hasn't separated himself enough to be Iowa's definitive QB1 going into next season.
In the first half, Sullivan looked like he had s serious shot to be the QB of the future for the Hawkeyes. He completed eight of his first nine passes, starting 6-of-6 for 79 yards and a touchdown pop pass to Terrell Washington.
"I think I took huge strides in the passing game," Sullivan said postgame. "I think I showed I can progress, showed I can get the ball out on time, and you saw that in the first half."
"I thought he played really well in the first half, and we had a rhythm," Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said of his starting quarterback. "He had a rhythm."
Right before the half, Sullivan took off on a heroic, sideline-to-sideline scramble that nearly landed him in the end zone and further emphasized what was a stellar first half.
"It was just an instinctual thing, trying to make a play," Sullivan said. "It wasn't there in the pass, it wasn't there when I first ran around, and so when I ran back around, something happened. So just trying to make a play, and play with instinct."
Kamari Moulton promptly punched it in from one yard out on the ensuing play, giving Iowa a 21-14 lead at the half.
The second half is where things went awry.
Though Sullivan's completion percentage didn't waver to the point of destruction, as he went 6-of-9 through the air, he passed for just 43 yards in the second half -- 19 of which came on a dump-down pass to Washington after Sullivan took a 13-yard loss on a first-down sack.
The first play of the fourth quarter was another costly error-- an interception at midfield that resulted in Missouri tying the game at 24 on a 51-yard boot from redshirt-freshman kicker Blake Craig.
"I think the end of the story is you can't turn the ball over, and that's what cost us the game," Sullivan said. "It's something I've got to take and I've got to live with, but it just can't happen."
Though the interception didn't technically cost the Hawkeyes the game, it didn't help their effort, and neither did Iowa's next three drives. After the interception, the offense proceeded to go three-and-out, three-and-out and four-and-out.
"They definitely had us figured out a little more in the second half than they did the first half," Sullivan said. "I think we just needed to execute better. I think we still had good play calls, still had opportunities to succeed and we just didn't make them."
The final stop came on the four-and-out drive with 51 seconds left and Iowa on the Missouri 46. On a 4th and short, a Sullivan sneak was eaten up by the Missouri defense and cost Iowa a shot at earning the victory -- and an opportunity to tie the game with a Drew Stevens field goal.
"They kind of had it figured out, we were trying to go hurry up a sneak," Sullivan said. "It just wasn't working."
After the game Ferentz pointed to Sullivan's competitiveness as a strength that can also sometimes be a detriment.
"One of Brendan's strengths is his competitiveness, and he just really cares," Ferentz said. "He's really wound tight. And so part of the challenge for him playing, this is not just quarterbacks, but anybody, you have to be able to bridle that enthusiasm and the energy sometimes, and make it work for you, not against you. And I think he runs hot a little bit sometimes, kind of gets out of whack there."
But Iowa's head man was happy overall with his quarterback's performance.
"He went out there and just played as hard as he possibly could," Ferentz said. "So he'll keep improving, optimistic about that, and he's a tremendous young person."
The problem is, Sullivan only has one year of eligibility remaining, and though he has shown the capability of winning games as a starter with the Hawkeyes, he hasn't shown the ability to be the reason Iowa wins them. Can that change in one offseason?
Clearly a mobile athlete that makes plays with his legs and can make relatively easy throws, Sullivan isn't the worst option at quarterback for Iowa. He has done some good things under center -- and did so again today. Ultimately, the sometimes-erratic decision-making and inability to make big-time throws limits the Iowa offense.
"I think [I can improve on] using my legs when I have to, not just any play," Sullivan said after the game. "But I think I've been progressing well, and I think I'm just gonna continue to do that and continue to watch film with Coach Lester, continue to watch film with the receivers and just get us back right and be ready for a good season next year."
The question remains -- does watching film make Sullivan the quarterback of the future for Iowa? Especially with the Hawkeyes set to face a daunting 2025 schedule that includes Iowa State, Penn State, Oregon and USC?
Based on the performance against Missouri, it's doubtful. Though the Davison, Michigan native was Iowa's best option for a majority of the season and certainly for the bowl game, there are likely to be better options for the Hawkeyes in the portal.
Though the official window for the portal has closed, more coaches will be fired this offseason. Late bowl games are coming to an end, and the portal remains a viable option for quarterbacks in those games and on those teams across the country.
If the Iowa staff and Swarm can find a match at quarterback that can come in, compete and potentially win the job in the spring, that move needs to be made -- and sooner rather than later.
