Lewerke as Heisman Candidate?

Submitted by TheLastStraw on

MSU QB Brian Lewerke getting some pre-season hype as a Heisman candidate:

MICHIGAN STATE QB BRIAN LEWERKE, JUNIOR Lewerke will begin his second season as the Spartans’ starting QB in a favorable position to build up Heisman momentum. Not only does Michigan State look set to mount a challenge to Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State in arguably the toughest division in the Power 5 leagues (the Big Ten East), it brings back its top three receivers and four starters on the offensive line from the group that rebounded from a dismal 2016 season to win 10 games last fall. Lewerke’s output as a runner and passer could keep him in the Heisman mix, provided the Spartans make good on their preseason expectations by staying in the playoff hunt.

https://www.si.com/college-football/2018/05/17/heisman-trophy-odds-slee…

I honestly don't see it.

Last year MSU was 8-0 when Lewerke threw 35 or fewer passes. MSU was 1-3 when Lewerke threw 36 or more passes.

A Heisman candidate needs to be able to put his team on his shoulders. Anytime Lewerke had to put MSU on his shoulders, they lost.

Goggles Paisano

June 1st, 2018 at 2:33 PM ^

Most of us on this site last year said the same things about McSorely the arm punter.  He turned out to be pretty damn good.  Lewerke will be a year older and if things go right for him, he could be thrown into that discussion.  I can see that happening but I don't think it will.  MSU is getting way more hype than Dantonio wants.  They are not laying in the weeds this year like they were last year.  

maizenblue92

June 1st, 2018 at 11:54 AM ^

Lewerke is a great example of when an extremely average QB wins a lot of games and no one bothers to actually watch him, they just gloss over numbers and base their judgement on that.

LSAClassOf2000

June 1st, 2018 at 2:56 PM ^

Actually, one of them sort of looks more like a leg, so then if it is in fact that, it is "a bag of dicks with a leg in it". I think that the best course of action for someone who would just go ahead and draw that out of the blue is to seek appropriate help because what the hell is that leg doing in there?

The Fan in Fargo

June 1st, 2018 at 1:02 PM ^

Sharty's 10 win season last year and Michigan very easily could've and for surely should've won that game in the Big House. That's just how terrible Michigan's offense was. Will be a different story this year. I'm very positive. It won't be a blow out but Michigan is the better team with better players.

Oh and losing that game will diminish any talk about Lequerk winning a heisman. They'll never give the heisman to an MSU player after all the shit that has recently gone down. They should be lucky their whole athletic program wasn't crucified. In a right and just world, they'd be fucked.

MGoShorts

June 1st, 2018 at 12:08 PM ^

Lewerke's a solid QB on a power 5 team coming off double-digit wins. Anyone with these credentials is going to generate some sort of Heisman hype, whether it's as a sleeper or a favorite, so who fucking cares?



Now if we can assemble an above average offense we'll demolish MSU and he'll be a non-topic.

Billy Ray Valentine

June 1st, 2018 at 12:15 PM ^

Lewerke will be a Hesiman candidate.  If Michigan goes 12-1, Shea, BP or Higdon could be a Hesiman candidate.  If Ohio State goes 12-1, JK Dobbins will be a Heisman candidate.

 

If the Queen had balls, she'd be the King.  

 

Hypotheticals are fun.   Here's another one -- if Izzo was a better coach, the front page banner of Mgoblog would look different.

Laser Wolf

June 1st, 2018 at 12:09 PM ^

I don’t really see it either, however that cutoff of 36 or more passes is pretty arbitrary and doesn’t paint the whole picture.



36 passes is quite a few passes. Even Baker Mayfield only had two games last year with 36 or more passes, both of them dogfights that could have gone either way.



And of the four, Ohio State was the only game in which Lewerke played poorly. Otherwise:



ND - 31/51, 340 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Northwestern - 39/57, 445 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT

Penn State - 33/56, 400 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT



Context is important.

BigBlue02

June 1st, 2018 at 1:38 PM ^

My point wasn’t that he never played well. My point was that he needed his team to win games-he didn’t take over a game. And when his team absolutely needed him, he threw shitty overtime interceptions to lose the game. Heisman candidates/winners play better when the game is on the line, not worse. Lewerke will be a fine/good QB, but fine/good doesn’t win you the Heisman

TheLastStraw

June 1st, 2018 at 12:25 PM ^

His average YPA last year was 6.7. That ranks 83 in the FBS last year. 

Notre Dame - 6.67 YPA

Northwestern - 7.8 YPA

Penn State - 7.1 YPA

OSU - 3.6 YPA

 

The point regarding high usage not leading to wins is that Lewerke needs the team to win the game for him. Baker Mayfield won shootouts -- that is what made him a Hesiman candidate. Lewerke didn't. He kept trundling along with good -- but not great -- numbers in those high usage games.