Iowa preview: Hawkeye bowl trip? Too close to call

Coach Kirk Ferentz won't make a call on the Iowa quarterback race right up until he absolutely has to.

So although senior Kyle McCann completed the spring with a tenuous hold on the No. 1 job, sophomore Jon Beutjer and JC transfer Brad Banks head into the fall in hot pursuit.

McCann's best argument is his steady performance in Iowa's final four games last season, when the Hawkeyes picked up two victories -- nearly sweeping three games in November -- en route to a 3-9 record.

Hawkeyes at a glance

SportsLine.com rank: 60

2000: 3-9 overall; 3-5 Big Ten (8th)

Coach: Kirk Ferentz -- 4-19 in two seasons at Iowa; 16-40 in five years as a head coach.

Returning starters: 17; 8 offense, 8 defense, kicker

Players to watch:
QB Kyle McCann, 6-5, 214, Sr.
RB Ladell Betts, 5-11, 215, Sr.
WR/KR Kahlil Hill, 6-3, 195, Sr.
G Eric Steinbach, 6-7, 284, Jr.
DE Aaron Kampman, 6-4, 282, Sr.
DT Derrick Pickens, 6-2, 284, Sr.
CB Benny Sapp, 5-10, 181, So.
SS Bob Sanders, 5-8, 194, So.

Primary strengths: Ladell Betts is a steadying force for an offense that doesn't have a clear-cut No. 1 choice quarterback. WR Kahlil Hill gives Iowa a big-play threat. The Hawkeyes have a shot at having one of the Big Ten's top defensive lines.

Potential problems: The offensive line has experience, but is still shaky. If Hill doesn't come through, the receivers might have trouble stretching defenses stacked against the run. The secondary must sustain the improvement it showed at the end of last year.

Overview: Best-case scenario has Iowa finishing 6-5 or 7-4 and making its first bowl appearance since 1997. Worst case has Iowa failing in the close games that make or break seasons.

McCann has shown the resilience of a door-to-door salesman in his four years in and out of the lineup.

Last season, Beutjer leapfrogged McCann from No. 3 to No. 1 when Scott Mullen was demoted, and in four starts, Beutjer flashed an accurate arm, quick feet ... and freshman inexperience. But an ankle injury kept him out of the final four games, and the Hawkeyes turned to McCann, who completed 58 percent of his passes and won two of four starts after spending 17 games on the bench between starts.

Banks, a 6-foot-1, 185-pounder, is the wildcard. He passed for 2,065 yards and 15 TDs while leading Hinds (Miss.) Community College to an 11-1 record and the Mississippi State junior college title last season. He also rushed for nearly 500 yards.

Ready to be leaned on by any quarterback is senior Ladell Betts, one of the Big Ten's top returning running backs, and senior wideout Kahlil Hill, who, behind his 58 receptions and kick return prowess, finished seventh in the Big Ten last season with 121.2 all-purpose yards a game.

Defensively, stats might not indicate their rate of improvement. When cornerbacks Benny Sapp and Matt Stockdale were inserted into the lineup, the defense improved almost immediately. And after making a mark with huge hits on special teams, sophomore Bob Sanders finally shoved his way to the front of the line at strong safety.

In a promising November performance, Iowa stung Northwestern, holding the Wildcats to 17 points and more than 100 yards below their average output.

The front seven will be heard from this season. Ends Aaron Kampman and Colin Cole and tackles Derrick Pickens and Jerry Montgomery give a blend of muscle and speed. Pickens led Iowa with seven sacks.

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