Iowa Hawkeyes bench Cade McNamara vs. Northwestern

The Iowa Hawkeyes face the Northwestern Wildcats this afternoon and are currently down 7-3. Unfortunately for Northwestern, that touchdown wasn't even earned by their offense.

In the second quarter, Cade McNamara threw a pick six. This was the last straw for head coach Kirk Ferentz.

At the start of the game, Ferentz openly stated that McNamara needed to play better. After the pick six he threw, Iowa made a change at quarterback.

On the ensuing drive, the Hawkeyes passed Brendan Sullivan at quarterback.

Fans were hoping Iowa would make a change at quarterback. McNamara has played poor football all year and has already literally had his team out this year.

He repeatedly missed easy passes. His mistakes cost the team points and trips.

It is unknown how long the change will be in effect. Sullivan played at least the entire following drive. Ferentz could stick with him for the rest of the game, or maybe he'll give McNamara another chance.

Still, Sullivan has a great opportunity ahead of him. On its first drive, the Hawkeyes were unable to move the football. He completed his only pass on the drive for two yards.

Hopefully Sullivan can step in and have a big impact for the rest of the game. If he plays well, there is a very real chance that McNamara could lose his starting spot in the future.

One thing is for sure: McNamara's week-in and week-out poor performance is clearly getting old for Ferentz and the coaching staff. It will be interesting to see whether this is a permanent change or not.