15 Pivotal QBs in 2013 – Andrew Maxwell
Michigan State needs far more from the quarterback position than it received from Andrew Maxwell last season for the Spartans to compete for a divisional title in 2013. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
NOTE: This is the eighth installment of a 15-part series on 2013′s most pivotal QBs in college football.
Ask any coach about the importance of the quarterback position and he is quick to throw out a tired cliché about quarterbacks getting too much credit and blame.
They will tell you there are 11 guys on the field at all times and each one of them must work together for the team to win.
Coaches know a lot about football. They also know about deflecting pressure from the most important pressure on the field.
How important is the quarterback position? Ask Texas A&M what Johnny Manziel meant to the team in 2012. Ask Auburn about Cam Newton’s worth in 2010. Ask Ohio State after Urban Meyer got a chance to turn around QB Braxton Miller in 2012.
A quarterback might not be everything, but a good one can mask a number of different deficiencies – be it a porous defense, a non-existent run game or erratic special teams.
Teams without a solid quarterback need virtually every other facet of the game to click in order to overcome poor play from the most important position.
This list is designed to spotlight 15 quarterbacks whose play will dictate their teams’ fates. With two exceptions, this list is made up exclusively of established QBs who have been starters for at least half a season.
The carefully chosen term “pivotal” is key here. This is to spotlight teams that could have significant swings based on the position. Players like Manziel and Miller are proven commodities at this point. Florida State has enough surrounding its yet-to-be-named starter – presumably Jameis Winston – to repeat as ACC champ even without great play from the position. Those appearing on this list are opined to have a wider swing.
15. Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech
13. Bryn Renner, North Carolina
12. Clint Trickett/Paul Millard/Ford Childress, West Virginia
11. Connor Halliday, Washington State
10. Nathan Scheelhaase, Illinois
6. Andrew Maxwell, Michigan State
Midway through the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl last year, Spartans coach Mark Dantonio finally saw enough from Maxwell, his season-long starting QB.
Dantonio gave Maxwell every opportunity to work through struggles. The coach stuck with him while Maxwell limped to a horrendous season completion percentage of 52.5 percent and a woeful 5.8 yards per attempt. Both numbers landed Maxwell firmly among the worst 10 BCS quarterbacks in the nation.
Most disturbingly, Michigan State seemingly had a great setup to break in a first-year starter at the game’s most position. The Spartans, who won their division in 2011, boasted a tremendous defense that finished ninth in the nation in points allowed per game. RB Le’Veon Bell also provided a crucial presence in the run game to offset some of the pressure that would have befallen Maxwell.
Yet the Spartans didn’t get enough out of the quarterback position to salvage what started as a season with high hopes.
With no passing game of any consequence to balance out Bell, BCS conference opponents – and Boise State – held Michigan State to 20 or fewer points in eight of 11 contests.
Maxwell also showed late-season regression, completing 44 of 102 passes in the final three games of the regular season. Largely in spite of Maxwell’s inaccuracy, the Spartans managed to score 20-plus points in all three games in losses to Nebraska and Northwestern and in a win over Minnesota.
The win over the Gophers allowed Michigan State to slither into a bowl game with a 6-6 record.
That meant additional practice time for Maxwell and the other Spartans quarterbacks, which is critical in the development of anyone in that position.
It didn’t show for Maxwell, who completed just 6 of 15 passes for 28 yards against TCU.
QB2 Connor Cook didn’t exactly light it up once Dantonio turned to him in the second half. He managed just 4-of-11 passing, though he went for 47 yards and a third-quarter touchdown that helped erase the Horned Frogs’ 13-0 halftime lead.
Cook also led the game-winning drive, completing a couple mid-range passes and then allowing Bell and penalties to put the Spartans in range for Dan Conroy to drill a 47-yard field goal.
Michigan State should be very strong on defense again in 2012, though it lost key contributors such as DE William Gholston. The loss of Bell, however, will hurt.
Maxwell did not solidify the starting job during spring practice, leaving the door open for Cook to compete in August.
Dantonio knows how important getting the right answer is, but Maxwell appears to be the odds-on favorite.
The senior will have to show great improvement for the Spartans to contend for a division title as they did two seasons ago. A comparable campaign will likely leave Michigan State hovering around .500 – and staring down the possibility of no postseason.