Iowa tight end Erick All will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL, Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz confirmed on Tuesday. All suffered the injury while making a 5-yard catch during the second drive of Iowa's 15-6 win over Wisconsin. He had to be carted off the field and later returned to the sideline in street clothes.
"His season is over," Ferentz said. "It's really unfortunate and he's done a great job. Such a positive hardworking guy."
The senior transfer from Michigan ranked as the top receiver on the team with 21 catches for 299 yards. The second-leading receiver is tight end Luke Lachey, who has not played since Week 3. No wide receiver on the roster has more than 83 yards through seven games as the Hawkeyes field the No. 128 passing offense in the nation, which ranks ahead of option-only teams Navy and Air Force.
All's injury is the latest setback to hit Iowa's anemic offense. Starting quarterback Cade McNamara, who transferred with All from Michigan, will miss the rest of the season after also suffering a torn ACL early in a 26-16 win over Michigan State. Fellow tight end Lachey, the top returning receiver on the roster, will "most likely" miss the rest of the season after suffering a leg injury against Western Michigan.
Another setback
All eyes were on Iowa's offense heading into 2023 as the Hawkeyes attempted to bounce back from posting the nation's No. 129 offense in 2022. All joined McNamara as high-profile transfers from Michigan who expected to turn the unit around. Now, both are out for the season.
Somehow, the unit has been even worse. Iowa ranks No. 130 nationally in total offense at 247.4 yards per game, 4 yards per game worse than their miserable 2022 campaign. Stats do not include reclassifying members James Madison, Jacksonville State and Sam Houston.
With All sidelined, Iowa will rely on fourth-string tight end Steven Stilianos and walk-on Johnny Pascuzzi, the next two listed on the depth chart. The pair have combined for six catches for 55 yards this season. Making matters worse, Wisconsin transfer Deacon Hill has completed just 38.6% of his passes in relief of McNamara. Iowa's offense will have to hope that running back LeShon Williams' performance against Wisconsin (25 carries for 174 yards) is sustainable heading forward to produce any yardage.
Finding a way
Despite putting together the single-worst offense in college football, Iowa has managed to miraculously stay on track. The team sits at 6-1 with only a loss to No. 6 Penn State on the schedule. A Charmin-soft Big Ten West only helps matters. The Hawkeyes will be favored in all five remaining games on the schedule as Iowa dodges both Ohio State and Michigan.
With the offense in the cellar, Iowa's defense and special teams have hit another level. The Hawkeyes rank No. 10 in scoring defense and punter Tory Taylor has the most punting yards in college football. The defense and special teams have combined for a pair of touchdowns to help.
If Iowa manages to win the Big Ten West -- and maybe even find its way to a New Year's Six bowl -- while fielding the worst offense in the sport, it will rank among the most bizarre and memorable seasons in college football history. For comparison, the other five worst offenses in college football behind Iowa have a combined record of 3-26 against FBS competition. Two of the wins came against each other.
