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.

Alumnus93

June 1st, 2018 at 3:19 PM ^

Lewerke is a very good QB and beat our ass. Until we beat him I'm not gonna knock him.

Wingsfan1

June 1st, 2018 at 3:22 PM ^

Ill start making fun of Sparty when we beat them 2 times in a row or more  (again)...is that possible under Dantonio? Hell just beat them this year!

ItsGreatToBe

June 1st, 2018 at 3:22 PM ^

...a newsfeed item that Cardale Jones was inducted into Mensa.

...a sounder of pigs flying over Battersea Power Station.

...little, teeny, tiny icicles dangling from Satan's balls.

bronxblue

June 1st, 2018 at 4:16 PM ^

They said the same stuff about Connor Cook at this time. He's a returning QB on a top 25 team. But there is no way Lewerke puts up the numbers you need, let alone the marquee wins.

dankbrogoblue

June 1st, 2018 at 4:48 PM ^

The title of the article is "The Most Intriguing Dark Horse Candidates of the Offseason Heisman Hype Machine"

Lewerke as a preseason heisman hopeful? Yes, that's laughable.

Lewerke as an intriguing dark horse candidate? Plausible. It is a very dark horse, but a horse nonetheless.

Good thing we have ways to settle this.

45th Unparalleled

June 1st, 2018 at 4:53 PM ^

This is rather misleading - “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.” In those 4 games he averaged 319 yards passing, 38 yds rushing & 2TDs. He also threw 5 Ints in those games, along with a fumble or two, but overall I wouldn’t chalk up those losses as him failing to up his game. MSU doesn’t run a system that’s going to generate Heisman numbers for their QB like Oklahoma or Louisville or some other pass happy or spreadish teams. Lewerke also hasn’t shown to be accurate enough either, below 60% passing %.

DeepBlueC

June 1st, 2018 at 6:19 PM ^

a Heisman candidate last year.  But given the jump in performance you can expect from his sophomore to his junior year, as well as the jump in performance from his supporting cast (almost all of which returns from a 10 win season), he probably will be this year.  Along with 50 other guys at the start of the season.

Ty Butterfield

June 1st, 2018 at 10:19 PM ^

Probably not but he did enough to beat Michigan. All the hype about Don Brown but Lewerke made plays when he needed to.

Tyler1495

June 2nd, 2018 at 1:38 AM ^

The only games he had over 250 yard games was when he threw atleast 50 passes. Hes good, nothing special