Cade McNamara and the Iowa offense are coming off one particularly disastrous showing in a Week 4 shutout against Penn State. While that performance might have been the worst of the season, the unit continues to underwhelm in a big way.

One aspect of the offense that continues to draw heat is the lack of usage for wide receivers with the Hawkeyes. Asked about that stat at his Tuesday press conference, McNamara said he’s simply trying to execute the plays he is given.

“I’m just a quarterback, I’m not calling the plays or doing any of that,” said McNamara. “That’s not my decision, I’m just gonna run the play as fit and I’m gonna throw it to the open guy.”

McNamara did go on to say the coaching staff is open to his suggestions, something he appreciates as it allows him to play free:

“They’re very open to my voice and I appreciate them about how much they care about my influence. It makes me play more freely,” McNamara explained.

Through 4 games, tight end Luke Lachey — who is injured and did not play in Week 4 — is still the team’s leading receiver with 10 catches for 131 yards. Erick All — another TE — is tied with Lachey for the team-high with 10 catches.

Nico Ragaini is currently the team’s leading WR, and he has just 6 catches for 52 yards this season. Leshon Williams — a running back — also has 6 catches on the year.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz also addressed the receivers during his press conference and noted it probably makes some sense to use the WR room a bit more after the injury to Lachey. We’ll see if the offense has any major shift after getting shut out this weekend.