By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Even if you knew absolutely nothing about the Iowa football team before watching the Kids Day practice on Saturday, identifying the starting quarterback still should’ve been easy.

It was just one practice, but junior Spencer Petras clearly was the best quarterback on the field Saturday at Kinnick Stadium. He was more accurate, more poised and more in command of the circumstances on the field compared to the other quarterbacks.

Petras did miss his target on some throws, but for the most part, he performed like a starter should. He commanded the huddle, made the necessary throws and put the offense in the right positions to excel.

Backups Alex Padilla and Deuce Hogan also had their moments, but they weren’t nearly as consistent as Petras was throughout the 2 1/2 hour practice.

“That’s encouraging, but okay, maybe we need to work on our defense a little bit more,” said Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. “But it was good day for (Spencer). It’s the best he’s looked. He looked a little bit more confident with command.

“And then some guys made plays, too. And that’s the sign of a good offense. Guys have to make plays.”

The Iowa defense usually has the upper hand during preseason practice, and that often has been the case during the annual Kids Day practice.

But Saturday was an exception as the Iowa running game and passing game both clicked.

“Usually, we can’t make a yard and it’s been that way most of preseason thus far,” Ferentz said. “Some holes opened up and it was good to see and the guys ran the ball hard and ran it well. And we hit some passes, too. So that’s all encouraging. But it’s kind of back and forth and up and down.

“The defense usually wins more than they lose in preseason that’s for sure.”

Ferentz said the offense, including Petras, has been inconsistent during preseason practice, but that hardly is a surprise.

The surprise is what happened Saturday with the offense.

“I would say, and Spencer’s part of this equation, we’ve really been up and down and sporadic offensively during preseason,” Ferentz said. “But that is so typical and common.”

Petras started all eight games last season and struggled at times with accuracy and with touch on shorter passes. But the San Rafael, Calif., native also led Iowa to six consecutive victories after starting the season 0-2.

Petras is the only quarterback on the roster with starting experience, and that could be beneficial with Iowa facing Indiana and Iowa State in the first two games.

The Hoosiers and Cyclones are both on the rise and considered two of the top teams in their respective conferences.

Iowa could be in trouble if Petras struggles, so his performance on Saturday was a good sign.

But again, it was just one practice.

Petras still is very much a work in progress, but he flashed at times last season, especially in the second half against Illinois when Iowa overcame a 14-13 halftime deficit to win 35-21 in Champaign, Ill. Petras threw two of his three touchdown passes in the second half.

Petras certainly has the arm strength and the size at 6-foot-5 and 233 pounds to excel at this level. The challenge for him now is to become more consistent with throws that require touch and timing.

He worked with quarterback coach Tony Racioppi during the summer, and now has Iowa quarterbacks coach Ken O’Keefe working with him every day in practice.

Saturday’s performance was a step forward. But how big of a step is hard to tell at this stage.

One thing is certain about Petras in that he has the respect and admiration of his teammates and coaches. He has been described as one of the hardest workers on the team whose life is consumed with playing football, and with playing the guitar.

Nobody prepares for a game harder than Petras does, and he has full command of the Iowa offense, while the other quarterbacks still are learning.

Petras now has to build on what he accomplished Saturday.

Or, in other words, be more consistent.