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Michigan State Football: 3 exciting stats from Jonathan Smith’s offensive staff

By Scott Tolonen

Michigan State's new football coach Jonathan Smith speaks to the crowd during a timeout in the basketball game against Georgia Southern on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
Michigan State's new football coach Jonathan Smith speaks to the crowd during a timeout in the basketball game against Georgia Southern on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. /
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Nov 18, 2023; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (5) throws a pass during the second half against the Washington Huskies at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 18, 2023; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (5) throws a pass during the second half against the Washington Huskies at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-USA TODAY Sports /

15 sacks allowed

The 2023 Oregon State team allowed 15 sacks on their quarterback last season. That’s tied for 18th-best in the entire nation and is an average of 1.25 per game.

For comparison, the Spartans’ offensive line allowed 25, which isn’t the worst, but still averages over two per game. While Jay Johnson’s passing schemes like throwing deep passes on third-and-1, screens on third-and-long, and long sideline throws when it’s not your quarterback’s strength, the offensive line did a poor job of pass protection.

When the quarterback wasn’t getting sacked, he was getting hit, pressured, and rushed into poor passes. With more time to throw, the next quarterback will have time to read his throw progressions and find those mismatches in the secondary. The Spartans simply have had too much talent at wide receiver the last two years to look so poor on offense.

New offensive line coach Jim Michalczik has his offensive line unit consistently in the Joe Moore Award conversation, an award that goes to the nation’s top offensive line.

If you’re into Pro Football Focus grades, the Oregon State Beavers ranked second in pass blocking. I am a firm believer that the health of the offense is dependent on the health of the offensive line first and foremost and this staff has their guys firing on all cylinders year after year.

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