Lewerke Injury(?): Dantonio vs. Warner vs. Lewerke

Submitted by Brhino on October 22nd, 2018 at 11:32 AM

This has been discussed in bits and pieces in several different threads, but I thought it might be nice to have the sources all compiled in one place.  I've done my best to provide some transcription although the audio is not the best.

 

Michigan State Offensive Coordinator Dave Warner post-game interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pWsqOLXi1M

skip to 1:35

Reporter: Is he [Lewerke] injured?

Warner: No.

Reporter: His arm's 100%? Shoulder... (inaudible)

Warner: I'm sorry?

Reporter: His shoulder's 100%?

Warner: Seemed to me. Played all, uh, practiced all week long with it. (shrugs)

 

Michigan State Starting Quarterback Brian Lewerke post-game interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKI0xHdSsXk

First minute is about him being injured at Penn State and trying to describe exactly just how injured, but in particular, starting at 0:50

Reporter: When did you practice this week?

Lewerke: Uhhh I think coach D said I did not practice at all (possibly a couple other inaudible words).

 

Michigan State Head Coach Mark Dantonio post-game interivew

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8HO8u60OVI

skip to 2:15

Reporter: ...and secondly, coming in, what percentage was Brian coming in, health-wise? Not asking you about specific injuries, just health-wise, what was he?

Dantonio: I thought he was good enough - well enough to play.  Um, he didn't practice though. You know, he didn't practice Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday. But, um, I thought he was well enough to play.

 

Begin Editorial Section

It's very interesting that Warner is casual and clear in his denial that Lewerke was injured or held out of practice last week.  It is very unlikely to me that the offensive coordinator could be unaware that his starting quarterback was injured.  It's inconceivable that the offensive coordinator could be confused about whether his starting quarterback practiced last week or not.

Lewerke seemed to be comfortable describing the "iffy" nature of his injury but when asked the very simple question of whether or not he practiced, his response to defer to Dantonio's statement is strange.

As biased Michigan fans we are inclined to believe Dantonio is lying, making excuses and exaggerating, and that Warner was not brought in on the plan to lie or forgot to.  We've seen this before of course as Brady Hoke sent a concussed Shane Morris back into a football game (presumably due to incompetent game management) and then utterly flubbed his attempt to support the lie Dave Brandon decided to run with regarding the incident. 

If there is another explanation for the above interviews that does not make Dantonio and Lewerke out to be liars, I am interesting in hearing it.  I know we do have some MSU fans among the readership, so I'm all ears if any of them wants to speak up.  Temping though it may be I would avoid describing Warner or Dantonio as "Aware, but not fully aware", however.  No good can come of that.

 

swan flu

October 22nd, 2018 at 11:39 AM ^

The last series before getting pulled I thought I saw Lewerke say "I can't f-ing throw with <<unintelligible>> in my face!"

 

certainly didn't look like he was complaining about an ambiguous injury.

Yostal

October 22nd, 2018 at 11:42 AM ^

Not jumping to any conclusions, but the "Uhhh I think coach D said I did not practice at all" is a super strange response.  Of all of the people who should know if you practiced, it should be the person being questioned.

SlickNick

October 22nd, 2018 at 11:43 AM ^

Oh you mean the guy who with a straight face lied and called it B.S. that he was walking behind his team with a smile on as they walked through Michigan's warm ups, even when there is video evidence is caught lying again?? Yeah I'm gonna use Mark's B.S. line on this one. There is a 0 percent chance the OC wouldn't know if the starting QB was out the entire week. This is just another BS excuse for sparty. It is actually to the point now where my sparty coworkers who last week insisted MI can't beat good ranked teams on the road, Higdon is overrated, the defense is overrated, Lewerke>Patterson, have already ran through every excuse they can come up with, and are now on to..."the only time Michigan can beat MSU is when we have a terrible team, like this year or our 3-9 season hahaha" 

The mental gymnastics with this fan base is hilarious folks. 

Bodogblog

October 22nd, 2018 at 11:50 AM ^

This is much more important than is generally being made out. 

Did Dantonio really lie about whether his QB practiced or not?  And did the QB feel compelled to support that lie with one of his own?  There are all kinds of things wrong with that, just on a football culture level - meaning wins and losses and mindset for that team. 

But pairing that with the sexual assault history of the school and sports programs, and this takes on a much, much bigger role.  Like the OP, I'm allowing for some type of explanation.  But right now it looks like a flat out lie.  That would be quite stunning. 

ijohnb

October 22nd, 2018 at 12:29 PM ^

OK, that is true, but let's take that out of the equation for a minute.  Just because it is a huge can of worms and will take the conversation in all kinds of different directions.

But his point regarding this particular incident, if a coach publicly lies regarding a player being injured when he actually wasn't to deflect criticism of a coaching performance and then told a player to back up his lie, is that not a fire-able offense - full stop?  You look at this, in conjunction with the video that has surfaced where he is in deed present and smiling when the pre-game stuff was happening (and then lied about that), this past weekend could end up being much worse for Dantonio that he realizes right now.

I frankly don't care what Dantonio's future is at MSU.  They are in for annual beatings from UM.  But shouldn't somebody in the media be all over this?  Brian, were you injured, yes or no?  Is that a thing that actually happened? 

You don't want to put the kid in a bad position, but come on?  That is crazy video.

Bodogblog

October 22nd, 2018 at 1:42 PM ^

I understand your point, but I don't believe it's too much.  They should have learned a stark lesson from that horror - everyone involved with the university should have learned from it.  That have to be absolutely hypersensitive to it because only a cultural problem could lead to something that long-standing and terrible.  Lies and cover ups should be stamped out at every level. 

If true, a coach is lying about a pretty important event involving a player, and the player feels compelled to go along with it.  That's a problem, full stop.  Then yes when you have that occurring in a football program plagued with past sexual assault issues, within a university that culturally enabled them, I'll link them.  MSU absolutely should.  An individual lying is one thing, another corroborating that lie is a cover up.  That should be sounding serious alarms at MSU.  Saying "it's about practice" minimizes it. 

oriental andrew

October 22nd, 2018 at 11:47 AM ^

Well, someone is lying. It's not hard to believe there was something going on with Lewerke, though. He didn't really run and his passes were just TERRIBLE. Maybe it's in his head, or maybe he actually did have a shoulder injury. Regardless, that was such ugly QB play, I might actually believe the injury excuse. 

Mercury Hayes

October 22nd, 2018 at 11:49 AM ^

Maybe Mark is trying to protect his player because he was flat out awful. I don't really care about if Lewerke was injured on not and other Michigan fans shouldn't either. Let's move along now.

DelhiWolverine

October 22nd, 2018 at 11:50 AM ^

“I think coach D said I didn’t practice at all”

translation:

I have been told to lie and say I didn’t practice, but I don’t really feel comfortable doing that, so I’ll not answer for myself and just refer back to the lie my head coach told.

deeare

October 22nd, 2018 at 11:50 AM ^

Lewerke's answer is so obvious.

If he didn't practice, he would have said, "I didn't practice".  He doesn't want to lie like his coach so he says a true statement "I think coach said I didn't practice"

Alumnus93

October 22nd, 2018 at 12:04 PM ^

The narrative is Warner being held out to dry, and will be the scapegoat fire... and Warner is trying to keep his dignity by telling the truth..... Lewerke is in a bad spot, having to cover for his coach.  Hopefully a few reporters go after this, and beat Dantini down for it.  Need Wojonowksi and Chengelis all over this, and fast.

MGoStretch

October 22nd, 2018 at 12:14 PM ^

Truth, it needs to be someone outside of the standard msu beat though, because there’s a zero (ZERO fakes out of five) percent chance any of the msu slappies do it. I mean, they’ve already completely given him a pass on the whole pre-game nonsense. Dantanioh says in a press conference that he “sorta stands by what he said yesterday”, they edit the “sorta” out in their reporting and don’t ask for any further clarification because their stern jawed leader says he’s done talking about (how convenient). 

Reader71

October 22nd, 2018 at 12:24 PM ^

Dantonio is probably lying, but it’s possible the OC is lying and doesn’t want it public that his QB is hurt, thereby putting a bullseye on that shoulder in all upcoming games.

I like Harbaugh’s approach better. No discussing injuries at all, unless they’re season ending or whatever.

TK

October 22nd, 2018 at 12:29 PM ^

This is 100 pct about damage control for Dantonio. He is trying to hold onto the narrative that things are under control. By being demolished by Michigan, he loses a HUGE cornerstone of what his program is about. If he says his qb was hurt, it’s more “explainable” to his fan base and boosters why they got wrecked. 

End of story. 

likerice

October 22nd, 2018 at 2:14 PM ^

UM should go along with this and "accept" the excuse that Lewerke and other injuries are the reason for the outcome in this game. Even though that is obviously a lie.

What we don't want is for MSU to recognize the trendline of their program and start making changes to their inept coaching staff.

brad

October 22nd, 2018 at 4:32 PM ^

Dantonio was lying his ass off, combing in the no-nonsense facade he's created for himself with a collosal assist from local media, just like he always does.  He probably still doesn't realize his utter phoniness is no longer bought.

 

Listento the questions from the terrified local reporters.  They almost had to be planted by dantonio himself.   "You..you were hurt right?  Uh didn't practice right?  But...but you played hurt, do you take some solace in that?" They're on egg shells, how does a reporter get like that? 

 

A shit show from sun up to sun down on Saturday; I enjoyed every minute of it (except the third quarter when I was losing my mind with grief)