Mark Dantonio teams have had a clear identity during his tenure in East Lansing. Ground & pound, fullbacks, three yards and a cloud of dust, etc. Incumbent quarterback Brian Lewerke gave the MSU offense a much different look in his first year as the starter in 2017. Connor Cook had enough athleticism to be respected as a mobile presence. However, Lewerke’s athletic ability added a dimension to the MSU offense that had not been seen in Dantonio’s tenure.
Brian Lewerke had a pretty solid year throwing the ball.
The Y/A isn’t great. Furthermore, MSU did struggle to move the ball through the air in stretches. Lewerke himself struggled mightily at times. The 20 tosses for scores looks good when it only goes along with seven interceptions. It’s a good season for a sophomore quarterback looking to make the leap and bring elite production.
Let’s check out these four games:
The Michigan game was in a downpour. I can forgive a bad game against an elite defense in a monsoon.
The three-game stretch heading into the bowl game is cause for concern. His passing numbers from the OSU game are generous. MSU was never in that game and frankly, it’s a miracle that Lewerke threw for more than a hundred yards.
The Maryland game was so stupid. Football is stupid sometimes, it happens. 2/14 is absolutely atrocious. However, He contributed 63 yards on the ground to go along with a rushing score. 83 total yards is still bad.
Rutgers was an example of what we can expect the floor to be going forward. Lewerke obviously did not have his best game. However, he did complete almost 70% of his passes with one touchdown. He also added a cool 53 yards on the ground with another score. Still, one would expect better from Lewerke that late in the season against a team like Rutgers.
Between Maryland and Rutgers, Lewerke at least kept from turning the ball over. However, he was not nearly as productive as he showed he could be, sans Ohio State.
Spreading the Wealth
Michigan State did a phenomenal job of spreading the ball around using tight ends as well as slot receivers in the passing game and sometimes on the ground.
By comparison, let’s take a look at MSU’s production from the 2015.
MSU had something of a ‘three-headed monster’ in the backfield. The receivers were not as involved in the rushing game or out of the slot. R.J. Shelton was the most versatile player on offense and had quite a productive season as MSU toyed with some new personnel looks. Josiah Price had a great season at tight end but was mostly a red zone threat.
Looking Ahead
MSU returns its top two rushers from 2017 (LJ Scott, Brian Lewerke). The two leading receivers are also back. Another plus. Depth took a bit of a hit as Madre London, Trishton Jackson, Hunter Rison, and Messiah DeWeaver all transferred. Gerald Holmes and Damion Terry graduated.
One of the concerns here is the lack of a backup tailback for LJ Scott. Connor Heyward filled that role in the spring game and looked raw, but promising. If you want to tackle him, you’ll have to bring hats to the party. He’s strong enough to take on linebackers and some smaller defensive linemen. Defensive backs need not apply. He’ll be a good spell for LJ Scott. True freshman La’Darius Jefferson could make an impact at tailback right away in a depth role. Mr. Football in the state of Michigan will quickly find himself on the field. The other cool thing about Jefferson is that he can probably catch the ball out of the backfield as well. Additionally, he played quarterback in high school and can throw the ball if a gadget play is called.
Having a receiving corps of Felton Davis III, Cody White and Darrell Stewart could make anyone forget losing Jackson and Rison. Aside from the receivers, Lewerke will have a good group of tight ends to work with as Dotson and Sokol are both back. Furthermore, Stewart was a factor in the rushing attack as well. Look for his role to expand this season as he will likely see more caries in addition to receiver duties.
The spring football game seemed to show a bit more of a power spread look. The first play for the offense was out of the shotgun with an H-back. It looked more like the MSU in Mississippi than the one in East Lansing. Given the athletes that are littered throughout this offense, that might be the right move. Hell, I saw the damn pistol formation in this game. MSU is changing. This isn’t your vanilla, under center MSU anymore.
Furthermore, the QB’s waiting in the wings have the size and athleticism to continue this trend on offense in East Lansing. If MSU continues to grab solid athletes at the skill positions and grab quarterbacks who can throw and run effectively, you could see a renaissance on offense for the Spartans. Versatility is key.
Moving forward, MSU could take more of a spread approach that allows them to use all the talent they have effectively. The days of ground and pound could very well be in the rearview mirror in East Lansing.