Reviewing 2018 Michigan State Football

Injuries have decimated the Spartans on offense, but the defense lead the nation in stopping the run. That’s going to be a challenge on a cold and potentially snowy day.

This summer, I considered Michigan State to be a dark-horse candidate to win the Big Ten’s East division this season. After the Spartans fell to 6-4 on the season after a 26-6 loss to Ohio State Saturday, that prediction looks awfully wrong. But why? Injuries.

After running back LJ Scott left the Arizona State game with an ankle injury in the second half, the Spartans couldn’t hold onto a two-score lead and lost 16-13 in Tempe. Scott missed the next four games before returning against Michigan. But Scott reinjured himself against Purdue, and after sitting out the last two games, decided to redshirt this season since he’d only played in four games. But Scott isn’t the only wounded Spartan in 2018.

Quarterback Brian Lewerke injured his throwing shoulder against Penn State and hasn’t been the same since. He’s completing just 37% of his passes since the injury for 281 yards and no touchdowns; prior to the injury, he was a 60% passer who had thrown for 1,587 yards. Redshirt freshman Rocky Lombardi played well replacing Lewerke against Purdue (318 yards and two touchdowns) but not so much last week in relief against Ohio State (35% completion percentage for 92 yards). Lombardi was so ineffective that Lewerke returned to finish the game against Ohio State. It remains to be seen which quarterback will play this week.