Top Spring Storyline: Quarterback Competition
4/8/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Steve Grinczel, MSUSpartans.com Online Columnist
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Some in the Michigan State camp confidently believed Tyler O'Connor had a legitimate shot to become the starting quarterback as a red-shirt freshman in 2013. "Keep an eye on him," they said.
Fueled by reports of a spectacular performance in a preseason scrimmage, vocal fans lobbied for then true freshman Damion Terry soon after.
Spartan head coach Mark Dantonio said earlier this week that second-year quarterback Brian Lewerke reminds him a young Kirk Cousins, except with an exponentially bigger national reputation coming out of high school.
And, true-freshman early enrollee Messiah deWeaver has potential befitting his first name.
Michigan State's quarterback situation may be unsettled, and it may even stay that way coming out of preseason camp in late August.
But, it's far from bleak heading into next Friday's hybrid practice/scrimmage.
The departure of three-year starter Connor Cook has stripped away the comfortable cover provided by the most accomplished, prolific and successful passer in school history, but it has also created a fertile environment for new growth.
O'Connor and Terry entered spring drills as co-No. 1 quarterbacks, just as they were co-No. 2s all last season, their limited playing time often determined by how well either one was suited to a particular task or situation.
When Cook was sidelined by shoulder injury before the pivotal road game against No. 2 Ohio State last November, O'Connor got the start but Terry rotated in for a significant number of snaps and helped facilitate the stunning 17-14 win by running for 25 yards on eight carries in miserable weather conditions.
The uncertainty created by talk that it's O'Connor's job to lose, which really means he's only a misstep or two away from yielding to one of the other three, or that he has only a slight edge based on experience and seniority, hasn't stopped him from behaving like Cook's presumptive heir.
"When I knew that I was starting the Ohio State game, it was way easier walking around just knowing that this was my offense, that this is a I'm-going-to-run-the-show-today kind of thing," the fifth-year senior said. "It is something that I guess you feel.
"Right now, it's undecided, so we're all working like that. But for me, and I'm sure Damion, Brian and everyone else is carrying himself like he is the starter. So, that's kind of my role. I'm gearing myself that way, I'm leading that way, and it's much easier to lead when you feel that way. But, that's what everybody should be doing and I'm sure everyone is."
Cook started all but one of MSU's last 40 games, but true to his upbeat nature, O'Connor doesn't lament all that time he spent watching from the sideline or dwell on how close he may have been to becoming the Spartans' first four-year starter and one of the few in college football history.
"Something bad would happen as a freshman and to me, I felt like I lost the job on one play," O'Connor said. "But I've had some of the best years of my life here, and we've done some awesome things. I've always been ready, but Connor had a very healthy career, missing only one game really.
"It's been a long time coming, but I've been looking forward to it. The day that Cotton Bowl was over, I was ready to get in and start leading the guys. (But) I've always pictured myself and I've always felt like a leader on this team, regardless of being a backup. That's just kind of like in my blood."
When the Cook era ended with the 38-0 loss to eventual National Champion Alabama in the College Football Playoff Semifinal in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 31, quarterbacks coach Brad Salem had no reason to fret about a facing a bare cupboard heading into the 2016 season.
After all, his words, that he was confident that the Spartan offense would not only function with O'Connor or Terry in the game, but it would play winning football, proved to be prophetic against the Buckeyes. The victory against the defending national champs propelled Michigan State to the East Division title, the Big Ten Championship and its first CFP appearance.
How the Spartans best take advantage of both talents, while remaining mindful of Lewerke and Weaver's battle for position in the pecking order, isn't first and foremost on Salem's mind at this point.
"I think the one thing we've learned is patience," Salem said. "I think a lot of people aren't patient in the decision-making process, but I think that's what Coach Dantonio brought to the table three years ago -- let's work ourselves through the process of who do you think gives us the best chance to win.
"The way I look at it right now is that it's our job to get every single one of them ready. If Tyler O'Connor's not ready, we don't beat Ohio State. Regardless of where you're at, it's each guy trying to fight to be in the position to be ready to start. When is that? I don't know."
Co-offensive coordinator Dave Warner has strictly adhered to Dantonio's philosophy of using every tool in the toolbox, often regardless of position or class stature, and that was true of the way he deployed O'Connor and Terry in conjunction with Cook. Terry occasionally was the second quarterback in, at times lining up in a wildcat formation, and O'Connor even punted five times.
"The thing Coach Warner's done a good job of with both those guys is playing to their skill-sets, especially in the Ohio State game and the Maryland game a little bit, too," Salem said. "Last year, they both were sort of at an even pace as backups, but one maybe brought something different than the other.
"It was always our mindset that we're preparing both, then once we went into the Ohio State game, Tyler had kind of put himself ahead at that point of season, so it was his turn to start."
"As I enter my fourth season, my comfort level is through the roof," Terry said. "Last year, Tyler and I knew we were the backups every week. This spring, I have a completely different approach because the starting job is up for grabs. I'm excited about having the opportunity to compete for the position.
"Now, I do approach each practice with a greater sense of urgency, but that's all part of the maturing process. As a true freshman, it was a brand new world for me, especially during preseason camp. As I prepare for my fourth season, I'm excited about everything: every lift, every position meeting and every practice. Being provided with a chance to compete for the starting job is all I could ask for."
When is a two-quarterback system not a two-quarterback system? Michigan State likely will continue to defy categorization, and convention, by finding a way to play two or three, as it did last season, or four, if need be, which is why Lewerke's approach isn't dramatically different from O'Connor or Terry's.
"You've just got to make the most out of every chance you get because eventually your chances will become limited," said cool-hand Lewerke, who prides himself with his ability to read defenses, mobility and accuracy. "Obviously, (O'Connor and Terry) have an advantage just from being here longer, knowing what they're doing and knowing the offense a little bit better.
"I've just got to show the coaches that I've been studying the playbook and know what I'm doing because if your opportunity comes, you've got to be able to step up and make your play for the team. I feel like (being compared to Cousins) is more of a great honor instead of more pressure on me. I'm just trying to show that comparison is true."
No MSU quarterback in recent memory has been ushered in with more hype than deWeaver, but he deflects it with poise and confidence that shouldn't be mistaken for cockiness. He knows what he doesn't know.
"I've been staying in the pocket and making throws, so I think my composure has been the biggest thing for me right now," deWeaver said. "I need to improve on learning the plays, knowing the plays and the signals for the plays and being able to play faster as I continue to go through everything.
"But I don't think it's been overwhelming at all. I've been studying and the older guys have been helping me out. The way I look at it is I'm trying to be the best player I can be every day, and if that's good enough, that's good enough."
Warner will have a better sense of where O'Connor, Terry, Lewerke and deWeaver stand after MSU's most intriguing spring scrimmage, in terms of quarterback play, since 2013.
"It is different," Warner said. "There's a newness going on, but it's fun to find out who are the guys who are going to grow? There haven't been any real bullets flying yet, so it's really a matter of waiting to see what those guys do in scrimmage situations.
"Both (O'Connor and Terry) have been in our system for a while, so they know the offense. It's a matter of going out and executing with the pressure on. Obviously, the pressure is a little more for them."
