Couch: Michigan State football midseason - an honest report card for the 5-1 Spartans

EAST LANSING – Michigan State’s return to Big Ten football relevance didn’t even take a half a season. The Spartans, who fell so hard so fast, have come back quickly. 

It’s happened for a number of reasons: 

- The Spartans were humbled and embarrassed by last season (and the offseason). Hitting bottom left this program, its players and coaches hungry and refocused.

- In short order, MSU fixed the areas that most crippled it last year — quarterback, its pass rush, its offensive line, its leadership. 

- Also, the program turned over its roster quickly. In its signature game of this season, a 14-10 win at Michigan, the Spartans started 10 sophomores and played 20 freshmen. Of those 30 players, very few had considerable roles during last year’s 3-9 campaign.

“There was pain in (3-9),” MSU coach Mark Dantonio said Tuesday. “I think everybody looked at themselves, every coach, head coach included, especially me, but every player I think also did that. Every incoming player did that.

“I don't think there's a person out there who has gone through a difficult time in their life, whether it's business, athletics, whatever it is, that doesn't enjoy sort of rising back up.”

And so, at the midpoint of the season, there is a buzz about MSU football, which is 5-1 and 3-0 in the Big Ten, legitimately a player in the Big Ten race. 

An honest report card, however, cannot be based on exceeding expectations or youth. Or being better than Michigan. There is no curve in this evaluation. No extra points for getting a B-minus on an exam many thought you’d fail. With that in mind, here are the midseason grades for MSU’s football team, position by position:

Quarterback: B+

Brian Lewerke has been everything MSU hoped. More, in fact. The Spartans didn’t realize he’d be such a threat with his legs. He’s not just a guy who can get himself out of trouble or pick up a few yards when there’s space in front of him. He’s a legit running threat on every play. His pocket feel is improving, too. In his early action, including last year, he often ran too quickly. Against Michigan on Oct. 7, he sped away from approaching blindside defenders just in time on one critical 9-yard run. Later, he recognized the linebacker spying him had gotten wrapped up in coverage, so he took off and scored. He’s also showed higher-end speed the Spartans thought they’d recruited. With his legs, his first six games have been an A-plus.

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But Lewerke ultimately will only be a great college quarterback — and a pro — if he’s a great passing quarterback, too. Right now, he’s OK. All the tools are there. He’s got the live arm. You see it a few times a game when he throws a dart or his pass knifes through the wind and rain without being thrown off course. He also still misses some regular throws and is prone to tempting danger, either because he locks in on a target or doesn’t read the coverage. MSU is OK with him taking some level of risk. It wants a playmaker at the position. It also wants a heady QB, which the coaches believe they have in Lewerke. They trust him. Despite playing in two rainstorms, he’s attempted more passes in his first six games this season than Connor Cook or Kirk Cousins did in their first six starts as sophomores. 

That’s the fairest comparison right now, Cook and Cousins. The passing numbers are comparable. Lewerke has completed 60% of 173 passes, thrown for 1,117 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. Cook and Cousins were both in that ballpark. The difference, obviously, is his legs. He has 318 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Neither of his revered predecessors had 100 yards rushing at this point or a single rushing score. Lewerke is the rare true dual-threat quarterback. If he becomes as scary as a passer as he is as a runner, this MSU team can go places ahead of schedule.

Receivers: B+

The last time MSU had to rely on a whole new group of young wideouts, in 2012, it was a disaster. So, by comparison, the 2017 Spartans are a bunch of young superstars. Using the 66-dropped-pass season of five years ago as a barometer, however, is to let these guys off the hook. It is the most promising and deepest group of receivers I’ve been around in college football. There are seven wideouts on this roster who are part of the game plan in any given week. Only one them is an upperclassman, Felton Davis, and he’s just a junior. 

Davis, who showed flashes of ability two years ago as a freshman, has been terrific, catching 24 passes for 300 yards and four touchdowns. He gives Brian Lewerke a big target with good hands. Sophomore Darrell Stewart has been equality dependable as a playmaker, though in different ways, catching more underneath throws over the middle. He has 21 receptions for 237 yards. Those are the two guys. After that, after tight end Matt Sokol (who’s been solid) with 11 catches, there are five receivers with at least two catches, led by freshman Hunter Rison and sophomore Trishton Jackson with nine each. 

Jackson is the only disappointment so far this season. And to consider him a disappointment is only to overreact to his eight-catch spring game effort, which I’ve done plenty. I still think he might be as gifted as any wideout on this roster. There isn’t a player among this group that scares opponents, I don’t think. That’s the next step. But there also isn’t a receiver for defenses to key on. And the amount of capable depth must be a pain to defend. 

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Running backs: B-

This is MSU’s most experienced and proven position group. Thus far — other than LJ Scott’s performance at Minnesota — they’ve been decent collectively, but only that. Again, just like with other positions that entered the season with uncertainty, I won’t grade this group down for not meeting loftier expectations, their own included. This group wants to average 5 yards per carry. Scott is close after his work in Minneapolis, now at 4.9, with Madre London at 4.2 and Gerald Holmes at 3.5. 

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The offensive line, of course, has a ton to do with their success. But Scott, London and Holmes also haven’t very often beaten that second-level defender, making a linebacker miss or bowling through a safety. That changed against the Gophers, as Scott got a head of steam going downhill. If that continues, then this grade will rise quickly. But through five of the six games so far, these guys were mostly just OK. Factor in Scott’s four fumbles — all of them leading immediately to an opponent scoring or preventing MSU from scoring — and you have a group that’s not been the strength of this offense, as it was supposed to be.

Offensive line: C+

Like with the running backs, perhaps Saturday’s game at Minnesota was a turning point. Until then, however, this was fairly a one-dimensional offensive line, one that pass protects well (allowing only six sacks in six games), but doesn’t win the push in the running game. This is also an incredibly young group. Left tackle Cole Chewins and left guard Tyler Higby are sophomores. Right guard Kevin Jarvis is a true freshman. And right tackle Luke Campbell is a redshirt freshman. Senior captain Brian Allen, who’s having an All-American type of season, anchors this fledgling unit from the middle. If this grade was based on expectations and experience, it’d be much higher. But the Spartans are now trying to win a Big Title, so we’ll play it straight.

MSU didn’t win up front against Bowling Green. It clearly did against Minnesota. That’s progress. The progress, however, began to be noticeable a week earlier in the first half at Michigan. The Spartans hadn’t been able to run consistently 5 yards at a time before then. But they had found success in spurts. I didn’t think that would happen against Michigan, which I still believe to be a top-tier defense. Yet MSU was as effective up front as they’d been against lesser defenses. More so, even. The potential for this group is tremendous, given its youth. It’s easier to teach a young offensive line to pass protect than it is to develop a unit into a bunch of physical maulers. There are some signs the latter could be beginning to happen.

Defensive line: B

No unit has come further since last season. Of MSU’s 16 sacks, the defensive line has recorded eight of them, four from sophomore end Kenny Willekes. Beyond that, at least two of linebacker Chris Frey’s 3.5 sacks came with him lined up on the edge of the line. Players like senior Demetrius Cooper, who had a disappointing junior season, have been productive and disciplined. The interior D-line has been disruptive, likely helping to account for a couple more sacks. The Spartans are holding teams to less than 100 yards per game rushing, third fewest in the Big Ten, which has a ton to do with this once-maligned group.

What’s noteworthy is, other than Cooper, the unit is extremely young (like so many others on this roster). Willekes, as mentioned is a sophomore, as are tackles Raequan Williams and Mike Panasiuk. The guys rotating behind them are even younger. The question still remains whether this group can get pressure on a Trace McSorley and J.T. Barrett when it faces the offensive lines of Penn State and Ohio State. But this has been one helluva start.

Linebackers: A-

Everything Brian Lewerke has been as a first-year starter for the offense, Joe Bachie has been for the Spartan defense. Bachie, who is third in the Big Ten with 50 tackles, has the potential to be one of the great middle linebackers to come through MSU, which has had more than its share. He’s a better physical athlete than the Bulloughs who came before him. In short time, he’ll likely be the same cerebral leader. 

Senior Chris Frey, I believe, is a better captain because of what his team went through last year. It’s noticeable in his awareness about the entire team — not just his friend group, position group or his side of the ball. He speaks like someone who has the pulse of everyone and cares about everyone. It’s served this team well. On the field, he’s been good as the Spartans’ strong-side linebacker. He’s overrun a few should-be tackles, but he’s also been a playmaker. His sack on the goal line against Bowling Green let the Spartans exhale for a minute, and not have to sleep another week without taking down an opposing QB.

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Andrew Dowell, on the weak side, appears to be more disciplined than last year, in the right place more often, which lets his athletic gifts take over. The linebackers were supposed to be the strength of MSU’s defense. That was largely because the rest of the defense was supposed to be so iffy. The defense has been surprisingly sound — fifth-best in the country statistically — in large part because the linebackers have raised their game, too.

Defensive backs: B

Tougher tests are ahead, no question, perhaps beginning this week against Indiana. But it’s not MSU’s fault that it hasn’t yet faced a prolific passer or truly dangerous wideout. So, through six games, this is the nation’s 13th-ranked pass defense. I’d say the improvement from last season is massive. But last season’s starting safeties, Montae Nicholson and Demetrious Cox, are both playing in the NFL this year. They struggled late last season because they’d lost confidence because MSU had zero pass rush. That filtered through the entire defense.

Still, this is a new group and it’s been solid group for the most part, even better once sophomore David Dowell was inserted as the starter free safety. And, like so many other places, it’s young. Strong safety Khari Willis, having an all-conference type of year, is a junior. The starting corners are a true freshman (Josiah Scott) and true sophomore (Justin Layne). Scott is physical and confident. Layne, at 6-foot-3, has rare size for the position. This should be a nice tandem for a couple seasons to come. Again, we’ll see how they hold up over the next month. So far so good, other than the fourth quarter at Minnesota.

Special Teams: B

Junior Jake Hartbarger has cooled off after looking like an NFL-ready punter for the first few weeks. Even after dropping a snap in the rain at Minnesota, the Spartans should have faith in him in every situation. I think he’s that good. His average of 41.5 yards per punt is a product of circumstance, weather and the end zone as a barrier. In every game, he’s had a long punt of at least 47 yards. He’s landed 14 of his 33 punts inside the 20 yard-line.

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Redshirt freshman Matt Coghlin has been reliable, making 5 of 7. That’s a relief for the Spartans. Kickoff coverage has been MSU’s lone bugaboo in the kicking game. Only four of Brett Scanlon’s kickoffs have gone for touchbacks, second-worst in the Big Ten, and the Spartans’ coverage unit is the worst in the conference overall.

Where there’s been noticeable improvement is in MSU’s own return game, especially kickoffs. The Spartans are tied for third in the Big Ten in kickoff return average at 24.3 yards per return and appear to have found couple players in Darrell Stewart and now Connor Hayward who have a knack for the position.

Coaching: A

It turns out the culture was stronger than realized, the young talent deeper. It turns out the disaster that was 3-9 — the offseason notwithstanding — wasn’t a disaster at all. It was just a really awful year. Mark Dantonio and Co. both stayed the course and made adjustments. In other words, they didn’t panic and get away from what they do. But they reevaluated it. They returned this season with a hungry roster, with loads of young and intriguing talent and, unlike a year ago, had their team game-ready for September.

This defense, I thought, would be in trouble. Instead, it's ranked in the top five in college football. This group of receivers, I thought, would need time to be playmakers. They were good to go. This young offensive line, I figured, would have some really bad days. Their worst days have been good enough to win. I thought this would be a telling year for co-offensive coordinator and play caller Dave Warner. It has been. He still infuriates fans from time to time. But he’s never done a better job than this. He and Lewerke seem to be in sync. 

Dantonio set the tone when he named Lewerke his starting quarterback in December. It gave the rest of his team someone to follow, someone to prepare with and kept the quarterback position from being an offseason question. I’ve been told that the hardest thing to do as a college football coach is get a program back rolling after you lose it. Dantonio is on the verge of doing that. 

Contact Graham Couch @Graham_Couch. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.