When you think about the biggest weaknesses of the Mel Tucker era of Michigan State football, the offensive play-calling has to be one of the first things to come to mind.
Jay Johnson didn't have the best tenure as offensive coordinator of Michigan State but he did have a memorable 2021 season which almost makes up for the nightmares of 2020, 2022, and 2023 -- almost.
Overall, Johnson's offense was one of the worst in school history in 2023 and moving on from him was something all Michigan State fans were ready for. While Brian Lindgren hasn't exactly been leaps and bounds better, it's still a change that was necessary. This program deserves an offense worth cheering for and Johnson just didn't do enough to provide that outside of the Kenneth Walker III year.
Johnson did land on his feet at Wyoming as the offensive coordinator for a new staff there but the Cowboys' fanbase is now happy with what they've seen from him so far in year one.
Hey, I wonder how Jay Johnson is doing at Wyoming…
— Ryan (@SpartanRyan) November 24, 2024
Oh, must be going as expected pic.twitter.com/Bk3hA3cUxW
Not utilizing the strengths of his players and running constant flea-flickers? Yeah, it sounds like a true Jay Johnson-led offense to me. Fans seem to be pretty fed up with him, and if you look at the numbers that Wyoming has put up, they have a legitimate gripe.
Wyoming has the No. 88 rushing offense, No. 106 passing offense, and No. 122 scoring offense in the country. The Cowboys' leading passer has just over 1,000 yards and the leading rusher and receiver each have just over 400 yards -- there is one week left in the year. Oh, and Wyoming is just 2-9 and has scored over 20 points just four times this year.
Michigan State fans won't be actively rooting against Johnson, but it's nice to see that they weren't crazy for wanting change.