As good as he's been, Brian Lewerke can't beat Ohio State alone
Brian Lewerke has probably had a few extra ice bags taped to his shoulder this week and there’s probably a surplus of Icy Hot in the medicine cabinet. After the last two Saturdays, there’s no doubt his right arm is starting to feel overused.
Michigan State has depended heavily on Lewerke lately, throwing 113 passes against Northwestern and Penn State — 16 more attempts than he had in the first four B1G outings combined. The Spartans offense has centered around the arm of their gunslinger, who’s racked up 845 yards and six touchdowns through the air the past two weeks.
Chances are, Mark Dantonio is going to lean heavily on the overworked shoulder of his quarterback again on Saturday against Ohio State.
Lewerke has been phenomenal the last two Saturdays, and really, for the entire season. As a first-year starter in the B1G East, the sophomore has eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark and has thrown for 16 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He’s completed passes at a 61 percent clip this year, and hasn’t once dipped below the 50 percent mark.
The Spartans are also getting tremendous play from their receivers, an area that was a bit of a question mark coming into the season with the dismissal of Donnie Corley. But Felton Davis III has totaled 586 yards and eight touchdowns on 46 catches and has emerged as one of the top pass-catchers in the B1G. Sophomore Darrell Stewart Jr., isn’t far behind, racking up 427 yards on 40 receptions. Freshmen Cody White and Hunter Rison have made significant impacts this season, too.
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All of it has been good enough to push the Spartans to a 7-2 record with impressive wins over Iowa, Michigan and Penn State. And, right now, Lewerke has Michigan State in position to claim the program’s fourth division title in seven seasons.
But is that style of football good enough to beat the Buckeyes inside the Horseshoe with a trip to Indianapolis hanging in the balance? Basically, can Lewerke, Davis and the Spartans shred the Ohio State secondary like Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma did nine weeks ago?
For as good as Michigan State has been throwing the football around, it has been equally dreadful toting the rock. The Spartans haven’t hit triple-digits on the ground since gashing Minnesota for 245 yards back on Oct. 14. In the last three games, the green and white have posted rushing totals of 89, 95 and 74 yards. L.J. Scott has been ineffective and no other ball-carrier has emerged as a quality threat.
Simply put, Dantonio’s crew doesn’t have the type of offensive that’s typically needed to beat a team like Ohio State.
Michigan State has gone into Columbus without much offensive firepower and come out with a victory before — i.e. 2015. And there’s no doubt that Saturday’s match-up will require the Spartans defense to keep a dangerous and explosive offensive group in check for 60 minutes. But the offense is going to have to make some plays, too. After Ohio State got embarrassed by Iowa last week, this isn’t going to be one of those 17-14, B1G defensive struggles.
Lewerke can take advantage of some of the holes in the Buckeyes’ secondary, especially with a playmaker like Davis on the receiving end on several of those passes. Michigan State can have success through the air this weekend, much like Oklahoma in Week 2 and Iowa just last Saturday. But the Spartans have to be able to mix in another dimension to have a serious shot at knocking off all three B1G powers this season.
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Maybe that requires L.J. Scott to get a few more touches to keep the defense honest. Or maybe incorporate a few more designed runs for Lewerke, who’s proven to be effective with his legs, rushing for 368 yards and three scores. There are other potential solutions that Dantonio could implement this weekend.
Dropping back 50 times against Ohio State’s defense line — even after being eviscerated by Iowa last Saturday — isn’t the best idea.
Lewerke’s arm has guided the Spartans to a lot of success this season, and as the season has progressed, the workload for the sophomore gunslinger has only increased. So far, he’s proven he’s equipped to handle that responsibility.
Michigan State shouldn’t throw the ball half-a-hundred times against the Buckeyes, but Dantonio can still depend on Lewerke’s shoulder this weekend. That high-volume passing attack will be the main source for the Spartans’ production and could cause problems for a vulnerable secondary.
Dantonio needs to find something else, though. There’s going to have to be another dimension to Michigan State’s offense, at least this week in Columbus.
As good as he’s been, Lewerke can’t beat the Buckeyes on his own.
