The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 135 BY ANDREW VAILLIENCOURT After a miserable 2016 season, Michigan State completely flipped the script in 2017, riding an upset win at Michigan to another 10-win season under head coach Mark Dan- tonio. The seven-game improvement from the previous year's 3-9 debacle marked the biggest turnaround in school history. It was the sixth time in Dantonio's ten- ure that the Spartans won 10 games. MSU returns 19 of 22 starters on offense and defense this year, meaning 2018 could be double-digit win season No. 7. Leading the charge for the Spartans is red- shirt junior quarterback Brian Lewerke, who was named a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate by Sports Illustrated in May. In his first full season as a starter, Lewerke com- pleted 59.0 percent of his passes for 2,793 yards with 20 touchdowns and seven inter- ceptions. He also was a force on the ground, ending the season as the team's second-lead- ing rusher with 559 yards and five scores. With every single starter besides center Brian Allen coming back on offense, Lewerke will have the tools to keep his team near the top of the Big Ten standings and in the top 20 nationally this fall. Senior running back LJ Scott, the team's leading rusher with 898 yards and eight scores, is back for his final year in East Lansing. So are the top four receiving tar- gets — senior wide receiver Felton Davis III, redshirt junior wideout Darrell Stewart Jr., sophomore wide receiver Cody White and fifth-year senior tight end Matt Sokol. Davis and Stewart combined for 1,277 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, with Davis' nine scoring grabs tying him for third in the Big Ten. White set an MSU true fresh- man receiving record with 490 yards and finished second among the school's rookies with 35 catches. Sokol was a reliable target at tight end, compiling 21 receptions for 222 yards and one touchdown. Michigan State's offensive line should also be strong again in 2018. Fifth-year se- nior guard David Beedle was a consensus third-team All-Big Ten honoree, while red- shirt junior Cole Chewins brings stability after starting the last 16 games at left tackle. Last year's win over U-M wasn't decided by MSU's offense, though. It was a low- scoring dog-fight in a rainstorm that high- lighted the strength of last year's Spartans team — defense. MSU finished 2017 with the No. 7 defense in the nation, allowing 297.6 yards per game — just 26.6 yards more than Michigan's No. 3-ranked unit. Junior linebacker Joe Bachie led the MSU defense last year and was voted team MVP, and he returns along with eight other start- ers. Defensive end Demetrius Cooper and linebacker Chris Frey are the only two play- ers not coming back after combining for 84 tackles and 6.5 sacks last year. Twin brothers Andrew and David Dowell return at linebacker and safety, respectively. Andrew, a senior, was second in tackles with 74 in 2017, while David, a redshirt junior, led the team in interceptions with five and added 52 tackles. Redshirt junior defensive end Kenny Willekes anchors the defensive line after totaling 73 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 2017. His sack total tied for sixth in the Big Ten, while he checked in seventh in tackles for loss. Redshirt junior Raequan Williams and junior Mike Panasiuk both return at defensive tackle after combin- ing for 8.5 tackles for loss last season. The entire secondary also is back, which should give opposing passers a fit after the Spartans ranked 17th nationally in team passing efficiency defense (113.48). U-M will face the Spartans on the road this fall — right in the middle of a three- game span that also features Wisconsin and Penn State. MSU will travel to Penn State the week prior to hosting the Wolverines. Getting up for its in-state rival, however, shouldn't be a problem for the Spartans. They have beaten the Wolverines in eight of the last 10 years and four of the past five. Much has been made of Michigan's inability to beat its rivals in the last decade, making the mid-October battle significantly more important than most games on the schedule. Notes Athlon Sports ranked Brian Lewerke as the No. 12 quarter- back in the country, three spots ahead of Michigan junior Shea Patterson and nine back of Penn State's Trace McSorley … Mark Dantonio is one of eight active head coaches with 100 wins at his current school … MSU had the No. 1 rush defense in the Big Ten and No. 2 rush defense nationally in 2017 (95.3 yards allowed per game) … Athlon Sports projects MSU No. 12 in the country. ❏ The Spartans Are Poised For Another Strong Year 2018 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2017 Result Aug. 31 Utah State — Sept. 8 at Arizona State — Sept. 22 at Indiana W, 17-9 Sept. 29 Central Michigan — Oct. 6 Northwestern L, 39-31 (3OT) Oct. 13 at Penn State W, 27-24 Oct. 20 Michigan W, 14-10 Oct. 27 Purdue — Nov. 3 at Maryland W, 17-7 Nov. 10 Ohio State L, 48-3 Nov. 17 at Nebraska — Nov. 24 Rutgers W, 40-7 PLAYERS TO WATCH Offense: LJ Scott, Sr., RB — De- cided to return to Michigan State for his final year of eligibility in- stead of entering the NFL Draft … Was All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2017 … Has led MSU in rush- ing each of the past three seasons, totaling 2,591 yards to rank No. 12 on the school's all-time list … Also ranks 12th with 24 rushing touchdowns … Caught a career-high 20 passes for 146 yards and one score last season. Defense: Joe Bachie, Jr., LB — Led team with 100 tackles in 2017 … Also recorded 8.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions and two forced fumbles last season … Was voted the team's MVP, the first time a sophomore has won the award since quarterback Drew Stanton did so in 2004 … Was a third-team All-Big Ten selection … Became the first Spartan to tally 100 or more tackles since linebacker Greg Jones in 2008. Redshirt junior quarterback Brian Lewerke has started 15 times in his career and gone 10‑5 with 3,174 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He's also rushed for 708 yards and five scores. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN STATE MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS • OCT. 20 • GAME 8 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Michigan leads 69-36-5 First Meeting: U-M 39, MSU 0 (Oct. 12, 1898, at Ann Arbor) Last Meeting: MSU 14, U-M 10 (Oct. 7, 2017, at Ann Arbor) Head Coach: Mark Dantonio, 100-45 at MSU (12th year) and 118-62 overall (15th year) 2017 In Review: 10-3 overall, 7-2 Big Ten ( T-2nd East Division) Final 2017 Ranking: No. 15 Associated Press poll and No. 16 coaches' poll Returning Starters: 21 (10 offense, 9 defense, 2 specialists) Last Bowl Appearance: 2017 (Holiday Bowl vs. Washington State, W 42-17) Big Ten Championships (last): 9 (2015) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Brian Lewerke (2,793 yards, 20 TD, 7 INT) Rushing: LJ Scott (898 yards, 8 TD) Receiving: Felton Davis III (776 yards, 9 TD) Tackles: Joe Bachie (100) Sacks: Kenny Willekes (7) Interceptions: David Dowell (5)