[11] He saw significant action against Northwestern after Petras got injured, completing eighteen of 28 pass attempts and had no touchdowns or interceptions in a 17–12 win.
[12] Padilla made his first career start against rival Minnesota where he went eleven of 24 for 206 yards and two touchdowns in a 27–22 win.
[13] He made his second consecutive start against Illinois going six for seventeen for 83 yards and an interception in a 33–23 victory to improve Iowa's record to 9–2.
[14] Padilla made his third and final start of the season against Nebraska, going six for fourteen for 76 yards in the first half before getting pulled in favor of Petras in a 28–21 win, the team's third in a row.
[20] Padilla saw his first action of the season after coming late against Ohio State where he went five for ten for 32 yards and one interception in a 10–54 loss.
[21] Ahead of Iowa's game against Northwestern, the team's depth chart showed either Padilla or Petras would start.