Michigan State Football: Report card for crushing loss at Ohio State
Offense
The Spartans were moving the ball well in the first half, totaling nearly 200 yards, but it stalled in the second half as the offensive line wore down. Overall, this side of the ball had a fairly decent game which missed some big opportunities with some self-inflicted miscues.
Brian Lewerke: B+
Honestly, if you watched this game and still came away saying something negative about Brian Lewerke, I don’t know what to tell you other than the fact that you might need to follow a new sport. Lewerke was on point all night long and made some NFL-caliber throws that even left Kirk Herbstreit’s jaw on the floor. He missed one big throw to a wide open Cody White in the first half that would have been an easy touchdown, but other than that, he was on the money.
Lewerke’s completion percentage, once agin, was hampered by drops (I counted seven) and that’s the difference between a 27-for-38 line with over 250 yards and a couple of touchdowns and 20-for-38 with 218 yards and a score.
Running Backs: B-
Michigan State seemed to abandon the run early on as the deficit grew in the second quarter. Still, Elijah Collins had another strong game with 12 carries for 63 yards as he was the only back with more than three touches. Collins continues to prove he’s the best back on the roster and his vision is top-notch, along with his patience. Anthony Williams Jr. had three carries for two yards and La’Darius Jefferson, too, was held in check. For the workload, I thought Collins had a really good game outside of a fumble on an option.
Receivers/Tight Ends: C-
Darrell Stewart Jr. was doing Darrell Stewart Jr. things once again, but he was responsible for about three drops against the Buckeyes and each of them could have been easy first downs. He finished the game with 68 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. The drops were an issue all game long as the Spartans had about seven.
White also had one of his more forgettable games with a fumble on the Spartans’ first offensive play of the game, missed blocks down the field that could have sprung Stewart Jr. for big gains and a drop of his own. He still finished with four catches for 42 yards. CJ Hayes was solid with two catches for 17 yards, including one where he was drilled in the air and still held on.
Matt Seybert continued to impress with two catches for 37 yards and the tight ends had a solid game overall. He missed some blocks, but he had to help out with Chase Young which is a daunting task. Trenton Gillison was a major bright spot with three catches for 34 yards and Matt Dotson added a 9-yard reception.
Offensive Line: D+
I feel as if the interior offensive line played well on Saturday and even opened some lanes up the middle for Elijah Collins, but the tackles struggled all night long. Jordan Reid and Tyler Higby had forgettable games and both had trouble with Young as well as picking up blitzes. Lewerke was left running for his life as well as getting rushed within the first 1-2 seconds with the ball in his hands. He hung in there and took some hits, but the pressure was clearly too much late in the game as the line didn’t give him any time.