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Michigan State Football: 5 biggest mid-season disappointments

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:01 a.m. ET

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Oct 15, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Football quarterback Tyler O

Michigan State football is struggling through the 2016 season thus far, but who are the biggest disappointments?

Guys, 2016 has been rough for Michigan State football. It all started with an Alabama loss on New Year’s Eve and has snowballed into a 2-4 start. Michigan State can’t get anything to go its way right now, and the disappointment has run rampant throughout Spartan Nation.

Mark Dantonio knows that his team is severely underperforming and has admitted that problems are being pinpointed and he’s working to correct them. Players aren’t playing to the level they should be and it’s causing a ‘lost’ season.

There will be no Big Ten title in 2016, nor a College Football Playoff appearance, but the Spartans still have time to get the ship turned in the right direction for some added momentum in 2017. If the Spartans can turn this around and make a bowl game with 6-7 wins, just imagine what it will do for the confidence of the young guys.

Don’t be one of those fair-weather fans who gives up on the program as a whole after a poor season. Dantonio has proven to be able to right the ship in the past (after 2009, 2012), so don’t be shocked if he happens again after this season.

On another note, let’s take a look at why the 2016 campaign has been underwhelming. Here are the five biggest disappointments for the Spartans halfway through the year.

5. Dave Warner

Not much needs to be said here other than the fact that offensive coordinator Dave Warner has been preventing this offense from being the best it can be. No, he can’t be blamed for the poor execution by Spartan players, but his play-calling has been atrocious.

It’s hard to tell if he was bailed out by Connor Cook for the past three years when the offense was the best it’s been in school history or if he is just playing too conservative with Tyler O’Connor under center.

Either way, something needs to change and it nearly did on Saturday against Northwestern with a spread look, but it regressed when the offense went back to pro-style.

It’s either too many run plays up the middle or zero run plays called. There has been no middle ground for the Spartan offense this year.

Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans center Brian Allen (65) prepares to snap the ball in the second quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

4. Offensive line

Watching Michigan State quarterbacks running for their lives on any given play has become the norm for Spartan fans and coaches. The offensive line took major hits this past offseason with departures of Jack Allen, Jack Conklin and Donavon Clark, but there was still talent returning.

In fact, the Spartans brought back Brian Allen and Kodi Kieler and looked to get Dennis Finley back from his leg injury suffered in 2015. However, Allen and Kieler have been the only consistent linemen and Finley is still not in the playing rotation and, according to Mark Staten, not even close to being game-ready.

Tyler Higby is getting some reps on the offensive line, which is a positive sign for the future, but David Beedle and Miguel Machado have stymied any hopes of a strong offensive attack. The latter caused a safety because of a missed blocked against Northwestern and seemed to rattle Brian Lewerke’s confidence for the remainder of the game.

Moreover, no running lanes are opening up for the talented backs. A team that has a trio like Madre London, Gerald Holmes and LJ Scott should be putting up 200-plus rushing yards per game, without question. The reality? Sub-100 yard games two weeks in a row.

This line is a major disappointment.

Sep 2, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Furman Paladins quarterback P.J. Blazejowski (7) carries the ball as Michigan State Spartans defensive end Demetrius Cooper (98) defends during the second half at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

3. Defensive line

Much like the Spartans’ offensive line, the defensive unit has been getting zero push in the trenches. A unit that was a strong point of Michigan State’s in 2015 has become a nightmare area to deal with for Dantonio and the rest of the staff.

Is there talent on the defensive line? Absolutely. However, Michigan State just can’t seem to get any penetration in the backfield because of how raw the young players are. Looking at the pieces on the line, there is just one guy who has major experience and another who is new to the system with some previous experience.

Malik McDowell is the one guy who comes to mind who has been a prominent player on the line for a couple of years and has now eased into a leadership role. He’s clearly the most dominant player the Spartans have and he even recorded 11 tackles and 0.5 sacks against Northwestern — that’s an absurd amount of tackles for a defensive tackle.

Kevin Williams is another guy who transferred in from Nebraska and who starts for the Spartans, but he’s new to the system and there seems to be a learning curve as if he were a freshman.

Speaking of which, Mike Panasiuk, Josh King and Auston Robertson have all seen their redshirts burned this season because of the lack of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and that’ll pay off next year.

One sack over the past three games? Not a good look for this once-proud defensive line.

Oct 1, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers running back Devonte Williams (2) runs the ball and is tackled by Michigan State Spartans linebacker Shane Jones (49) and Michigan State Spartans defensive back Demetrious Cox (7) in the second half of the game at Memorial Stadium. Indiana Hoosiers beat the Michigan State Spartans by the score of 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

2. Demetrious Cox

One guy who I believed would have a huge year was senior captain Demetrious Cox. The fifth-year player from Pennsylvania was projected to have a huge career at Michigan State, but hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations.

However, his teammates think the world of him. Enough, in fact, to name him one of three captains prior to the 2016 season, but he has struggled in the secondary. He’s a leader, but hasn’t commanded the defensive backs unit as well as I thought he would. Too often he is seen chasing down a defender after making a mistake in coverage.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Demetrious Cox is a talented football player, but he has yet to reach his potential or even realize how to maximize it. He is athletic, smart and is a great leader, but he needs to translate that onto the field of play.

Cox stays back in coverage too often because he’s afraid to get burned deep like he did a few times in 2015, but he has the athleticism to make up for the mistake if someone was to get behind him. He’s allowing too many completions right under his nose and missing far too many tackles.

It’s time he gets back on the right track in the second half of the year.

Oct 1, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Michigan State Football quarterback Tyler O

1. Tyler O’Connor

Is anyone really surprised that Tyler O’Connor is No. 1 on this list? Well, you shouldn’t be. Outside of the second half of the Northwestern game, O’Connor has been nothing more than Andrew Maxwell 2.0, which has given Spartan fans very little to cheer about.

Must Read: MSU Football: Top 5 takeaways from loss to Northwestern

Accuracy isn’t necessarily the top issue, it’s actually arm strength. Although he threw a couple of touchdown bombs against the Wildcats, he was bailed out on one to R.J. Shelton which was tipped into the receiver’s hands by the defender. His arm strength limits him, and that’s why the Brian Lewerke era should begin as soon as possible.

Well, the Lewerke era did technically begin for Michigan State football last week, but he was benched in the second half in favor of O’Connor. He completed 12-of-19 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown, but was rattled by that second-quarter safety.

It seemed like he never recovered, mentally, from that safety in which his head was nearly taken off, and that led to the coaching staff’s insertion of O’Connor.

Like Cox, O’Connor is a great kid and a great leader. Every team should have a player like him on the roster to keep the morale up and speak up when no one else will. However, he is not the answer at quarterback, and it’s evident after six games.

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