Iowa football look ahead: Michigan State, Mark Dantonio need a rebound year

The pregame lead ups for Michigan State this season will include chapters on sexual assault and will inevitably ask if head coach Mark Dantonio is on the hot seat.

On the field, the Spartans skidded to a 3-9 finish in 2016. This was one year after a 12-2 record and a Big Ten championship. This was three years after 13-1, a Big Ten championship victory over Ohio State and a Rose Bowl victory.

You have to think, just off pure wins and losses, Dantonio has capital in the bank. But then there were the sexual assaults.

Two sexual assault cases involving four players cast a pall over the program that still hangs. The off-field, more than the 3-9, has stapled the words 'hot seat' to Dantonio going into this season.

Most coaches who end up on the hot seat haven't taken their school to the absolute height of heights in the Big Ten. Dantonio absolutely has. He's also 7-3 against Michigan. The football side of this seems stable save the 2016 blip (the Spartans' first losing season since 2009).

Gauging what's gone on off the field isn't hard. If Dantonio doesn't have a Rose Bowl and a couple Big Ten titles, he probably doesn't survive four players being charged with sexual assault in one offseason.

So, Dantonio's charge in 2017 is to make sure values drill into the heart of his program. Oh, and win. The Spartans return four starters on offense and defense. They go to Michigan and Ohio State and play host to Penn State and Notre Dame.

As it stands now, Dantonio has widespread support in the Michigan State community. He might not have enough goodwill in the bank if another 3-9 lands in East Lansing this season.

This roster is young: Part of last year's 3-9 was a lot of young players. The Spartans are still in that mode.

There are 76 freshmen and sophomores and just 12 seniors. MSU won the attrition bowl in 2016 with 12 players leaving the program before their eligibility was up.

Personnel-wise, the Spartans are kind of like Iowa. Both schools are looking for a new QB (it's going to be sophomore Brian Lewerke in East Lansing; it's still TBA in Iowa City). MSU has questions at wide receiver and in the secondary. Also, like Iowa, the Spartans' offensive line should be a strength, anchored by senior Brian Allen.

What about that O-line?: Allen is the lone senior. After him, it's two sophomores and a redshirt freshman.

Sophomore left tackle Cole Chewins, sophomore left guard Tyler Higby, junior right guard David Beedle and redshirt freshman right tackle Luke Campbell have combined for 14 starts, all coming last season.

So, the Spartans are looking at a learning curve, but the majority of this group did help MSU average around 200 rushing yards in the last six games.

Can Michigan State disrupt?: After three consecutive seasons of finishing in the Big Ten's top three in sacks, the Spartans drooped to 14th last season with just 11.0 sacks.

This is maybe the most un-Michigan State number, besides wins, obviously, from last season. Pat Narduzzi will begin his third year as head coach at Pitt. He got that job because of the job he did as Michigan State's defensive coordinator. It's not as simple as MSU still adjusting from trying to replace Narduzzi, but with the swirl of 'hot seat' talk surrounding Dantonio this offseason, Narduzzi's name came up with regularity as a replacement.

And the new QB: Michigan State has a QB it really likes.

Sophomore Brian Lewerke was a Rivals 4-star out of Phoenix, Ariz. Dantonio has compared the 6-3, 212-pounder to former MSU quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Connor Cook. He has presence and a live arm and isn't afraid to take chances.

Lewerke suffered a broken leg last October in the Michigan game. Even with that rehab ahead, Dantonio didn't hesitate to name Lewerke the starter last winter.

Hawkeyes Look Ahead

Sept. 30 at Michigan State 

Time, TV: TBA

Week before: vs. Penn State

Week after: vs. Illinois, Oct. 7

On the horizon: Bye week, Oct. 14

Michigan State Spartans

Coach: Mark Dantonio (90-42, 11th season at Michigan State)

2016 record: 3-9, 1-8 in the Big Ten East Division (6th)

Scoring offense: 24.1 points per game (12th in B1G, 104th nationally)

Total offense: 395.0 yards per game (6th B1G, 75th nationally)

Scoring defense: 27.8 points allowed per game (10th B1G, 61st nationally)

Total defense: 364.8 yards allowed per game (7th B1G, 32nd nationally)

Series: Iowa leads series, 23-21-2

Last meeting:

1st and 10 at MSU 18

(9:31 — 4th) LJ Scott run for 6 yds. to the MchSt 24

2nd and 4 at MSU 24

(8:50 — 4th) Connor Cook pass incomplete to Macgarrett Kings Jr.

3rd and 4 at MSU 24

(8:39 — 4th) Connor Cook pass complete to Josiah Price for 13 yds. to the MchSt 37 for a 1ST down

1st and 10 at MSU 37

(8:15 — 4th) Connor Cook pass complete to Macgarrett Kings Jr. for 4 yds. to the MchSt 41

2nd and 6 at MSU 41

(7:55 — 4th) LJ Scott run for 3 yds. to the MchSt 44 MICHIGAN ST Penalty, Holding (Jack Conklin) to the MchSt 34

2nd and 13 at MSU 34

(7:15 — 4th) R.J. Shelton run for 10 yds. to the MchSt 44

3rd and 3 at MSU 44

(6:44 — 4th) LJ Scott run for 4 yds. to the MchSt 48 for a 1ST down

1st and 10 at MSU 48

(6:09 — 4th) LJ Scott run for 2 yds. to the 50 yard line

2nd and 8 at 50

(5:40 — 4th) Connor Cook pass incomplete to Aaron Burbridge MICHIGAN ST Penalty, Illegal Touching (Aaron Burbridge) to the 50 yard line

3rd and 8 at 50

(5:19 — 4th) Connor Cook pass complete to Aaron Burbridge for 16 yds. to the Iowa 34 for a 1ST down

1st and 10 at IOWA 34

(4:59 — 4th) Connor Cook run for 7 yds. to the Iowa 27

2nd and 3 at IOWA 27

(4:25 — 4th) LJ Scott run for 3 yds. to the Iowa 24 for a 1ST down

1st and 10 at IOWA 24

(3:59 — 4th) LJ Scott run for 3 yds. to the Iowa 21

2nd and 7 at IOWA 21

(3:29 — 4th) LJ Scott run for 6 yds. to the Iowa 15

3rd and 1 at IOWA 15

(2:48 — 4th) LJ Scott run for 2 yds. to the Iowa 13 for a 1ST down

1st and 10 at IOWA 13

(2:15 — 4th) LJ Scott run for 3 yds. to the Iowa 10

(2:09 — 4th) Timeout IOWA, clock 02:09

2nd and 7 at IOWA 10

(2:09 — 4th) LJ Scott run for 5 yds. to the Iowa 5

(2:04 — 4th) Timeout IOWA, clock 02:04

3rd and 2 at IOWA 5

(2:04 — 4th) LJ Scott run for no gain to the Iowa 5

(1:59 — 4th) Timeout IOWA, clock 01:59

4th and 2 at IOWA 5

(1:54 — 4th) Connor Cook run for 2 yds. to the Iowa 3 for a 1ST down

1st and Goal at IOWA 3

(1:31 — 4th) LJ Scott run for 2 yds. to the Iowa 1

2nd and Goal at IOWA 1

(0:56 — 4th) LJ Scott run for no gain to the Iowa 1

(0:33 — 4th) Timeout MICHIGAN ST, clock 00:33

3rd and Goal at IOWA 1

(0:27 — 4th) LJ Scott run for 1 yd. for a TD, (Michael Geiger KICK)

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com