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Mark Dantonio should offer Joe Moorhead the opportunity to run Michigan State’s offense immediately
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Joe Moorhead is out of a job. Michigan State is in desperate need of offensive ingenuity. It almost seems too perfect, doesn’t it?
Over the last two years, Mark Dantonio has been loyal to a fault. It’s been no secret that his resistance to make significant staff changes have resulted in a downward spiral for Michigan State. Back-to-back 7-6 seasons over the last two years and a 27-24 record since a College Football Playoff run in 2015 isn’t the kind of stretch you’d expect from a program that spent the first half of the decade competing at the highest level in the B1G.
Dantonio’s decision to reshuffle his staff following an abysmal offensive year in 2018 didn’t work the way he planned. Michigan State was held to 10 points or less in five games and averaged a meager 22.4 points per game, a slight improvement from last year’s 18.7 average, but not enough to compete with the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin or Penn State. The Spartans had 24 turnovers for the year, tied for the highest mark in the conference.
Anytime the Spartans went against a formidable defense, they turned to origami.
It’s evident now that Michigan State needs a change. A real one. As loyal as Dantonio has been to his staff during his time in East Lansing, the current regime running the offense hasn’t been able to produce the kind of output necessary to compete at the highest level in the B1G. Unless Dantonio makes the decision to bring someone in with a fresh perspective, similar results are going to continue.
So, what’s the harm in picking up the phone, making a call to the recently unemployed Moorhead to gauge his interest? Maybe see what it would take to bring him back to the B1G, this time in East Lansing. Certainly it wouldn’t be so outlandish that Dantonio and Michigan State couldn’t make an offer.
Moorhead was terminated by Mississippi State after a 6-7 year and a loss in the Music City Bowl to Louisville. As brilliant of an offensive mind as Moorhead is, it was an awkward fit for a program that was demanding too much. Asking someone to produce Dan Mullen-like results in two years was a bit unreasonable down in cowbell country.
What’s not unreasonable, though, is extending a lucrative offer to Moorhead to come to Michigan State and fix an offense that hasn’t located an end zone in two years. In that regard, the former Mississippi State head coach is more than qualified.
In 2016, Moorhead walked into State College and took over an offense that was stuck in a similar situation. Penn State’s offensive line play was atrocious, scoring was rare and the offense ranked 13th in the B1G in total production in consecutive seasons (2014-15). The Nittany Lions finished those two seasons with a 7-6 record.
Sound familiar?
Penn State’s offense changed for the better the minute Moorhead walked through the door. The tempo increased, the read-pass option became more prevalent and the offensive line improved dramatically. The offensive speed was so quick, Nittany Lion defenders had trouble keeping lunch down during practice.
In Moorhead’s first season as offensive coordinator, Penn State owned one of the most prolific offenses in the country, won a B1G title and finished the season 11-3. The following year was more of the same, with the Nittany Lions posting an 11-2 mark having the best offensive team statistically in the B1G.
The change in offensive efficiency from Penn State’s 2015 season to Moorhead’s two years in State College calling the shots is eye-popping:
[table “” not found /]Moorhead wouldn’t be walking into the exact same situation in East Lansing in 2020 as he did four years ago in State College. Penn State had Trace McSorley at quarterback, a wide receiver corps that consisted of DaeSean Hamilton, Chris Godwin and DeAndre Thompkins, one of the nation’s top tight ends in Mike Gesicki and some guy named Saquon Barkley. The cupboard wasn’t exactly bare.
The Spartans don’t have that same level of talent or depth right now. Expecting Michigan State to make the same leap Penn State made in 2016 would be somewhat of an unrealistic expectation.
But there’s no reason to believe Moorhead’s RPO implementation, quick tempo and ability to maximize the potential on the roster would undoubtedly be an upgrade. And paired with Michigan State’s defensive prowess, the Spartans might once again field a team capable with competing with top-tier of the B1G.
There might be some resistance to bring Moorhead to East Lansing based on how poorly his offense operated at Mississippi State. You could even make the argument that the Bulldogs’ 2018 campaign mirrored Michigan State’s season — heavily dependent on defensive effort. But don’t forget this was Moorhead’s first time as a head coach at a major college football program. And it was at a place that has been dormant in the SEC throughout history, with the exception of Mullen’s nine-year run.
Michigan State needs something. Dantonio can’t endure another year like the past two and expect to be the head coach for the 2021 season. With frustration mounting and the clock ticking, it’s time to make a home-run decision in regards to the offensive staff this offseason.
If Dantonio gets Moorhead to run Michigan State’s offense, at the very least, he will go down swinging.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB