Joe Labas knows the opportunity he faces.
Labas will be Iowa’s starter for the Music City Bowl against Kentucky, the first time he’ll be in that role, the first time he’ll be in any sort of game role with the Hawkeyes.
He understands what this chance means.
“I would say it means a lot, just like any game would mean a lot, no matter what game it is,” Labas said on Thursday. “But this game in particular, being my first career start, it’s pretty big.”
The opportunity comes out of necessity. Spencer Petras, Iowa’s starter all season, is injured and unavailable. Alex Padilla, Petras’ backup, entered the NCAA’s transfer portal.
Labas and Carson May are the only available quarterbacks for the game.
“It was kind of a shock and it was just a mix of a lot of emotions,” Labas said of learning he would be the starter. “I called my parents right away and they were happy for me and excited, and I was excited for the opportunity as I am right now. But yeah, it was kind of like a shock at first, like it would be for anyone but you know, it was pretty cool, but also, like, nerve-wracking at the same time.”
Labas, in his second season with the Hawkeyes, has been working on the scout team throughout his time at Iowa. Now he’s getting work with the first-string offense.
“It's gone pretty smooth so far, just practicing and trying to get as many reps as possible,” Labas said. “That's most important for me — just trying to get comfortable with everything I have to do on the offensive side of the ball, doing my job the right way.
“It's different from scout (team), for sure. It’s different, but it's also a lot more mental for me, obviously. It’s been good. just getting comfortable and getting the reps in — as many reps as possible has been huge for me.”
Labas has impressed his offensive teammates.
“Joe is looking really good out there,” wide receiver Diante Vines said. “He's making some great throws that kind of made me step back for a second. We're like, ‘Wow, he could probably be something pretty good.’ We asked him to do a really big job coming in here after being a third-string quarterback. And now he’s (the starter). So it's a pretty big task.”
“Yeah, he's kind of just getting his feet wet,” tight end Sam LaPorta said. “He’s the last couple of weeks to get acclimated. And I think he's feeling much more confident, especially in the huddle to play calls, getting them in and out of the huddle. He's mobile, good on his feet, and we'll see what he can do. It’s going to be fun.”
Labas said he’s been pleased with his progress.
“First practice compared to, let's say, today or last practice, there’s definitely a huge difference,” he said. “The first practice was my first time getting in there and getting used to everything. I was on scout (team) before (during) the entire year. When they told me I was going to be the guy, it was kind of just throwing me in the fire right away and going from there. But, yeah, day one was a learning curve for sure.”
Labas called the transition a “whirlwind,” but credited Petras with helping him learn.
“He’s like a third coach out there, another quarterback coach,” Labas said. “He helps me out, he talks to me every single play, and I need that and he's been helping me out a lot. He's been great, so I really appreciate him for helping me out. He knows the offense very well, obviously, so just getting input from him, not only from (offensive coordinator) Brian (Ferentz) or whoever else, but from him as well, that helps me out a lot.”
“I think he’s handled it really well,” Vines said. “Every day since we've been practicing, he's been getting better and better. So it's pretty fun for me to be out there and just watch him and see how he's getting better every day.”
Former Michigan starting quarterback Cade McNamara will be joining the Hawkeyes as a transfer in the spring, so Labas knows this is his one chance to prove himself.
“I'm just going to go out there and not really think about it too much,” Labas said. “I'm just going to go out there just like it's any other day, like it's practice, and just roll. It’s obviously a big opportunity for me, I'm excited for it and looking to do some things out there.”
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