Michigan State Football: Report card for win over Indiana in Week 8

It’s been an up-and-down season for Brian Lewerke, but he’s already surpassed his predecessor in terms of effectiveness with both his arm and legs. Tyler O’Connor had a tough time leading the offense down the field, but Lewerke has that ability, but has struggled to find it of late.

Last week, I gave Lewerke a C for his performance against Minnesota. The conditions were terrible, though, and that contributed to the lack of an aerial attack. In the end, he led the Spartans to victory, and did so again this Saturday.

However, Indiana’s defense held him in check probably more than he thought it would. The Hoosiers stuck to the Spartan receivers like glue, and that contributed to his subpar completion rate and three sacks. He got happy feet in the pocket and didn’t quite run as much as he normally would.

Lewerke didn’t turn the ball over, which is a major key, and he had a touchdown pass with 185 yards through the air, but his accuracy was an issue. He missed open receivers and overthrew slant routes. He needs to settle down in the pocket. His numbers looked solid because of a fourth-quarter surge. That saved his grade, too.