IOWA CITY, Iowa – This column always comes with a disclaimer – Kids Day is just one of more than 20 preseason practices for the Iowa football team. Context is very important when evaluating what we see.

Beyond that, there are nuances. Players on both sides of the ball are out with injuries. Sometimes the No. 1 offensive player is opposite the No. 1 defensive player. Sometimes that’s not the case.

That makes it difficult to take much away from the annual open practice, which was the case with what we saw Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.

The problem was perception. Everyone who entered this historic venue sought redemption from the evils of Brian Ferentz’s transgressions. Instead, they saw ghosts.

New coordinator Tim Lester brought movement and other tricks. A few plays went well, but overall the Hawkeyes got stuck in the mud trying to move the ball.

It wasn’t all bad, though. Iowa ran pretty well. You know they’re an impressive team when they look so good without injured starter Leshon Williams.

The interior of the O-line also deserves credit, as many of the rushing yards came from inside the tackles. The yards raised questions about the team’s depth at defensive tackle, but that would have been petty given that unit’s performance on Saturday.

In addition, the offense was just as inept as it had been under Lester’s predecessor. Inaccurate passes, dropped passes, breakdowns in pass defense, unforced errors – the fans at Kinnick got the full package.

But honestly, are you surprised? Cade McNamara was only cleared to do physical work in the new offense when training camp began less than two weeks ago.

It’s going to take time. There’s going to be growing pains. McNamara playing 7-on-7 with his teammates all summer isn’t the same as having Deontae Craig or Yahya Black in your face.

This is not to discount QB1’s terrible day. He missed easy throws, botched a shotgun snap, and just seemed rusty overall.

Time will tell if McNamara can shake off the rust. Not that we needed a reminder, but everyone knows the Hawkeyes can’t reach their lofty goals with what we saw Saturday. Complementary football works best when all three phases complement each other.

Perhaps the Kids Day performance wouldn’t have been quite as impressive if backup quarterbacks Brendan Sullivan and Marco Lainez had made a splash, but they didn’t.

To be fair, top tight end Luke Lachey and receivers Seth Anderson, Dayton Howard and Alec Wick were either limited or absent from practice. It’s also possible that coaches limited what they showed in a public practice because they knew the footage would be available to opponents.

By the way, you may have heard, Iowa’s defense is dominant and features sixth-year seniors guarding the back seven. And if you’ve ever been to a practice, you know the guys on that side of the ball love to stop any offense, including their own. They didn’t give an inch on Saturday.

Maybe nothing in the previous two paragraphs was of much consequence. Maybe the offense won’t improve much and trading Brian Ferentz wasn’t the solution. It’s a depressing possibility, but it’s a possibility nonetheless.

It’s more likely that it won’t be quite as bad. Growing pains at the beginning of the season are normal under the circumstances.

How much growth is possible and how long it takes will determine the outcome of 2024. Can the Hawkeyes grow by winning rather than losing against Iowa State and/or Minnesota in September? Can the offense then continue to grow into October and make Iowa a College Football Playoff contender?

The plan here is development, individually and collectively. That happens on defense and on special teams. The offense has to follow that path.

The personnel decisions and play calls of the staff will be crucial. The student-athletes must not be discouraged by failures and must continue to push forward.

That didn’t change on Saturday. The players and coaches understood that. For all other spectators, it was only confirmed.