Michigan State Football: What went wrong for Brian Lewerke in 2018?

It was a struggle all season for both Michigan State football and quarterback Brian Lewerke. What went wrong and how can it be fixed?

Coming into the 2018 season, Michigan State had all the pomp and circumstance of a team coming off a 10-win season with much to prove. They were a preseason pick for the College Football Playoff by many pundits and commentators. What the experts liked the most about MSU was up-and-coming quarterback Brian Lewerke.

Flash forward and the Spartans at 7-5 and going to the Redbox Bowl in Santa Clara, Calif. The defense lived up to the hype however the offense was dreadful all year. It even took a late touchdown to put away a terrible Rutgers team.

Was it poor play-calling? Fire offensive coordinator Dave Warner, people say. I’ll admit I was on that bandwagon and yes the play calling has been terrible. However, I’ve seen big-name programs other than MSU run sweeps to the short side of the field, too. Everything tailspun out of control when the Spartans were unable to run the football. So what happened?

It’s easy to write that it was injuries to key wide receivers and then to the backups. The offensive line was a mash unit. Offensive line coach Mark Staten even joked they should have their position meetings in the trainer’s room.

Injuries, as coaches will tell you, are not an excuse however when the depth is not there and young guys are being pushed ahead of schedule to play then it can be a factor. Nevertheless, I’ll still stand by the statement that it is not an excuse. It is, in some ways, a reflection of recruiting, or lack thereof.

What happened to Lewerke? Many will tell you he seemed off all season and I would agree with that. It all started the Utah State game and those corner blitzes that killed their drives. It was a similar corner blitz that got young quarterback from Texas, Sam Ehlinger, on a safety in the Big 12 title game. It changed the course of the game. Getting blindsided is every quarterback’s nightmare and Texas crumbled after that play.

The difference from this season and last was defenses did figure Lewerke out and injuries took away his safety nets. He had to elevate his game. Lewerke had to do it all each week and he knew it. The run game was not going anywhere and when it seemed that there was hope another injury would happen. One punter, two punters, then another wide receiver and still another offensive lineman.

This led to what I believe head coach Mark Dantonio alluded to during the minor quarterback controversy about maintaining Lewerke’s confidence. Football is as much a between the ears game as any it is an X’s and O’s. Dantonio knows this and has used mind tactics to motivate his players throughout his tenure.

There was something different about past MSU quarterback greats like Kirk Cousins and Connor Cook — they had a swagger. However, while all the talk in the offseason was about this team’s chemistry and was rarely seen on offense.

There is a book by D.T. Suzuki called the Zen in the Art of Archery. In it, he states: “Man is a thinking reed but his great works are done when he is not calculating and thinking.” Spartan fans watched a team that was thinking too much all season.

They watched a quarterback trying, in many ways, too hard. Lewerke is a great quarterback and person and he wanted to win badly, but he was pushing it and gaining negative results. Allowing the game to come to you is not just a sports cliche but a timeless truth. The defense will do what it does, but it’s the quarterback’s job to allow it to play out and see what plays can be made.

Cook and Cousins were great at this. Cousins’ crowning moment was against Georgia in the Outback Bowl. Cook’s was against Stanford in the Rose Bowl. They allowed the game to come to them. MSU did not do that this season. They tried and then tried all the harder, and when players do that the game slips away like sand in your hands.

Can Lewerke bounce back? Absolutely. He needs to heal and get his mind right and play within himself. Lewerke is not Cook or Cousins, but rather he is his own quarterback. He just needs to play his game. Every young quarterback has to find their way and style.