Cade McNamara's performance vs. Illinois State was 'relief' after hard road back to Iowa football

Sunday healthy and Me performance like that yeah it felt really good I mean just to be finally you know I felt like a couple bruises for the first time in a long time and it felt really good you talked about a few weeks ago when when you're on the sideline and you're hurt your phone gets real quiet what was the phone like after the game well I had a lot of text messages and everything which was really cool just for you know the people that um you know have you know some people I haven't heard from in a while and some people that I've been relying on a lot you know through this process and um I was just really happy to hear from those people can you talk about who some of those people are you want to shout them out or anything who you really did rely on during this time um well I know she definitely wants me to shout her out as my nana um she's the best Nana in the world I told her I'd tell her I'd say that at one point in my life but um I kind of everyone I mean reallys like my family and um even people from back home from Mareno Nevada I mean I haven't been there in so long but to you know hear that you know they still support me a lot means a lot to me the 40 points is good but then you look back at it going through video how much better could have been and obviously how good can this offense still get to and you almost spot him a half and put up 40 yeah I think you know we definitely left some plays out there and you know for me like I felt like I definitely you know left some plays out there in the first half but I think you know kind of like what I said after the game was you know we're not really too worried about 40 points we're just worried about you know how can we play our best every single week and you know I think you know us being in first game situation you know with the offense obviously and everything um you know we're just looking to get better every single week Logan had said that you felt like this momentum from Saturday carried into your Tuesday practice today did you feel that momentum carry and and I guess how do you take that into Saturday too yeah absolutely I think we got up to a really hot start today I remember last week on Tuesday was definitely our worst day we were struggling a little bit it was pretty chaotic but that's the kind of you know atmosphere that the coaches want to create on on a Tuesday to make it you know as chaotic and as um stressful as possible so that when it comes game time that you know we're able to operate calmly but I definitely you know I'm glad Logan mentioned that because we felt that as an offense and I think um obviously you know we still have a lot of preparation to do but I think that just kind of goes with you know the the experience and the confidence you know after being able to execute in a game um we're just looking to do the same thing this week when you watch the the film of Saturday just what what kind of stood out as you watched it back I think what stood out to me was you know just kind of the obvious a tale of two halves I think you know for us to um really deal with some adversity you know in the first half and for us to stick together and you know we really stayed pretty calm at halftime you know even you know we were talking to some of the defensive guys at halftime you know they're shutting the mountain um even some of th those guys were encouraging as well you know I remember me and Jay talked to mej Luke talked a little bit out of halftime and you know he was just making sure that you know hey we're going to be okay and I'm like and I was like yeah man I'm we're okay but I want we got to go out there and get after this second half but um I was just you know I think overall it's just really that was just the biggest difference how important was it to get that touchdown on that first drive of that second half and and really start off strong after halftime yeah it was huge I mean usually we're used to receiving the ball you know going in uh to start the game so for us to you know get the ball going into the second half that was new for us and for us to you know be able to go down the field throw together a really good drive I really think it sparked the second half what did you learn from playing in the shaw game last year and through what you've heard this year what what it's like to be a part of this rivalry um I mean I just know how the more I'm you know in Iowa I just realize you know how important this game is for the state and I think you know you know they're a really good program they have a lot of good players and it's a veteran group and you know I think overall you know this is every single time these two teams meet it's going to be a battle and you know I think we're going to expect that and we're looking forward to it this week what's all out about their secondary their secondary I mean they have multiple allconference players they have I mean as I mentioned they're very seasoned they run a unique defense and they have mastered that defense and I think you know for us to um you know we're going to have to play our best in order to win you've been a part of rivalries other places where does this one kind of fit in and and being part of it the time that you have where does it fit and what is it like for you yeah I mean I love this rivalry I think you know it's a completely different feel from any other rivalry just because of you know it's like a it's like your state championship or like your high reminds me of like the team that you know we you know your high school rivalry you know and I think um kind of brings back those feelings so I think that's really cool and um overall it's just an awesome game in terms of get implementing this scheme kind of how do things feel week you know kind of going in week two I'm sure you weren't pulling out all the schematic stops right away in week one um I mean kind of every is going to be different as far as you know we're facing different defenses you know some we're going to run some stuff some weeks we're going to run different stuff other weeks you know and just based on the schematics of each play you know things might be different so I think that's really the process that we're going through right now is figuring out which you know plays what uh schemes are going to work best this week it seemed like you just you got more comfortable as the game went on was there like a play where you felt that like you feel like you kind of were in a rhythm yeah absolutely I think in the first half um we went on a pretty Sol drive there at the end of the second quarter and for me to I remember I completed two balls one to Luke on third down and then one to Rees over the middle um those two balls I really felt like got you know my confidence going and um those throws um really I felt like you know you know I was like okay time to go now you know and I think you know once we were able to go from there and then you know we were able to build some momentum at the end of the half and then for obviously as a whole offense for us to you know find the end zone to start off the second half was huge for everyone the P to orw worth the P to orw worth how much of that was scripted and how much of that was freelance just adjusting to the moment that was a lot of freelance I mean I mean there was an original play and that play broke down pretty fast so um uh yeah I mean it was just kind of a natural play I think you know Orton did an unbelievable job of he knows that I was scrambling and he was able to adjust his original route and then where I I put the ball um I was kind of leading him a little more inside to stack the under and that's exactly what he did and he ended up making an unbelievable play you showed a lot of emotion after that after that play near the sideline yeah that one got me gone that was that was fun yeah I mean plays like that you know and like when the offense is running you know that's you know when you're able to feel the momentum you're able to you know especially feel the impact that the crowd has on the game on you know when big plays occur um you know that's a part of the game that we love how important is it mentally maybe we're overestimating or underestimating it but how important the offens is it to just see yeah I mean I think that's just kind of an overall I mean kind of the philosophy of just game experience you know I think you know obviously we have a lot of older guys on this team a lot of guys who have played a lot of football but you know every single year every single game you know whether it's the game plan whether it's for us it's a new system for us to be able to see it happen on game day I mean that's what we work all all year for Kate we talked about your confidence you know here and there um throughout your time here but I I just have to imagine that your confidence after being able to play a full game healthy and and play that second half the way you did is just maybe an all time high or or even you know pushed forward from where it was when we talked about it before yeah I mean honestly it feels like a relief I mean I I've been you know you know really you know it's been a tough two years for me personally and for me to you know finally be out there and you know to feel like I played you know the way I think I should be able to play and the how you know the impact that I feel like I can have on our offense um you know that felt really good and for me to you know come back Sunday morning and be able to you know not have to go to the training room was a really good feeling what's your relationship like with Keller and what's he know to the the quarterback room the guy who's not far remov from his own plain days and didn't like stuff Keller is super unique he's an awesome dude he uh you know he does everything he possibly can to help us out um U we really appreciate him and we understand the work that he does what you know I I mean I rely on Keller about a lot of things and you know for him to have playing experience and um really just overall life experience he's you know he's a really good um influence in our room you guys went hurry up or something on the first touchdown you went to the live scmm really quick and like is that call was that something you called how did that come about yeah so we um coach Lester called that um and you know I think just we noticed kind of the flow of the game and you know when we were able to start stacking plays you know how our Tempo started to pick up and really we just you know we just stuck with it a little bit and we mix in some hurry up plays and sometimes they work sometimes they don't but that's kind of the you know the risk that you take cuz you're not able to sometimes the defense isn't fully set but on that particular play on our first touchdown we were you know we were in the Red Zone we you know we ran a a pretty base play and it worked what can what can you uh just share about your grandmother and what makes her the best in your eyes well first of all she's the best cook ever she's Italian yeah um I love my family I mean I love my grandparents my uh I've been very blessed to have an unbelievable family who's been nothing but supportive you know throughout my life and for my two brothers and um you know I the best part about season is that I get to see my family a lot more often and you know a part of you know traveling and you know going to school away from home um the moments that I get to spend with them is special so what's her favorite dish she makes uh she makes chipino and peso and Yoki which is my favorite in Reno is that what she is uh so they they're in uh outside San Francisco so that's where my dad grew up and uh when we lived in Areno that was about just a 4our drive to see them so getting back to the tempo Logan was talking about is that something he said coach Lester is like all about Tempo what does that mean is it like just pace of practice is it like trying to get the plays off quicker what does that mean to you I think it's both so like when we're in practice and we're trying to push the tempo we want to get in and out of the Huddle we want to execute the play then get back on the line get in the Huddle and run the next one and I think really the advantage for us in doing that I mean last I mean we other than maybe one play were was a was a play clock in issue yeah last week so we were we were very ahead on the play clock throughout the entire game which is also a uge Advantage for everyone on the offense because then if we need to make checks or if we need to you know just the more time that we're able to see the defense before we run the play is only to our benefit did is does the headset help in that way at all or is it just a part of it well I think it does just because then I don't have to take so long to look at the sideline because the whole process of you know what it used to be was basically the communication with me and Coach Lester would happen with the coaches on the sideline and then the sideline has to communicated with me so and we're taking multiple steps out of that process you know this rivalry means a lot to a lot of people you're one of the few players on this team who can finish your career without a loss ever at Iowa State I mean would that mean something to you yeah absolutely that would mean a lot to me and you know for the other guys on this team who you know haven't lost a game to Iowa State I mean you know that's something special and I think you know overall I mean when you're able to beat a team like them who's you know has that level of talent and you know they've had a lot of success over the years you know