Dantonio on Lewerke: 'He needs to get better'

EAST LANSING – Brian Lewerke trotted onto the Spartan Stadium field Saturday for the first time in a meaningful game.

The results? Not enough to warrant a quarterback controversy, according to Mark Dantonio.

“He needs to get better,” Dantonio said Sunday of the Michigan State redshirt freshman Lewerke. “He’ll have his opportunities as the season moves forward.”

The Phoenix, Arizona native completed 2 of 4 passes for 26 yards on the final drive of the 16th-ranked Spartans’ 30-6 loss to Wisconsin.

Lewerke had a 10-yard completion to tight end Matt Sokol, a 16-yard scramble and a 16-yard pass to Darrell Stewart Jr. that put MSU into the red zone for just the second time in the game with seconds to play.

However, his first pass of the game to Donnie Corley was intercepted, only to be overruled by a pass interference penalty on Wisconsin. Dantonio didn’t mince words about it.

“It was a poor throw, a poor decision,” Dantonio said. “Following that, he delivered one that was dropped on the money which was dropped by a true freshman (Trishton Jackson), and then following that he completed one and then after that he scrambled twice, one which was called back and another one he scrambled.”

Dantonio: There is no quarterback controversy - yet

Co-offensive coordinator Dave Warner said there was no talk about putting Lewerke in for O’Connor earlier than after the outcome was determined. Dantonio said junior Damion Terry, listed as Tyler O’Connor’s backup on the depth chart, was “banged up” and that coaches wanted Lewerke to make his debut.

Dantonio reiterated there is not a threat to O’Connor’s starting job right now.

“The quarterback is gonna get more criticism and more praise probably than he deserves, on both ends of the stick,” Dantonio said. “But that’s the nature of college football and football in general. And you have to be able to accept that in a position of leadership, including the head coach.”

* ARREST IN HICKS MURDER: Police in Calgary arrested a 19-year-old man in the death of former MSU defensive back/linebacker Mylan Hicks, who was shot outside a nightclub in the Canadian city early Sunday morning.

CBC News reported that Nelson Lugela, one of the three men detained after the shooting, has been charged with second-degree murder. Investigators said they found a gun which they believe was used in the shooting, and it is being examined by a forensic crime scene unit. The two other suspects have been released pending further investigation, according to the CBC.

Spartan Speak: Wisconsin reaction, Donnie Corley & more

Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@chrissolari.