Michigan State Football: 5 bold predictions for October 2017

2. Brian Lewerke surpasses 2,000 yards

If you saw Brian Lewerke leading the team in rushing, as well as obviously through the air, after a month of play, you are either a genius, or flat-out crazy. After one month, it’s obvious that Lewerke is the right option to lead this offense. He’s had some shaky moments, but he’s been impressive for a first-year starter.

Through four games, he’s passed for 963 yards and eight touchdowns with just two interceptions and a completion rate of about 63 percent. He looks the part of the next successful Michigan State gunslinger, giving fans a breath of fresh air after Tyler O’Connor’s rough 2016 campaign.

Lewerke nearly hit the 1,000-yard mark in his first full month as the team’s starter to go along with 248 rushing yards and two scores. If he continues this pace, but also continues to improve slightly like the coaches are expecting, he will crack that 2,000-yard mark, surpassing O’Connor’s total from all of 2016.

I would go one step further to say that he will crack 20 touchdown passes as well by November, but I think there will be a game or two in which the ground game will break out and carry the scoring load. Not a bad first two months, though.