Michigan State Football: Anthony Russo might be the answer at QB

Michigan State football has searched for stability at the game’s most important position for a while. Transfer Anthony Russo is well-equipped to bring that.

Volatile and unstable come to mind when thinking about Michigan State football’s quarterback situation for the better part of the past three seasons.

Last season, Rocky Lombardi was plagued with extreme highs and extreme lows. He started off with 300-plus yards and three touchdowns in each of his first two starts and then failed to throw a score against five interceptions in his next two contests, before losing the starting job.

Prior to Lombardi, three-year starter Brian Lewerke went from a strong opening season in 2017 (2,793 yards, 20 TDs, seven INTs) to compiling a TD-to-INT ratio of 25-to-24 over his final two years and a completion percentage of 57.2.

Fast forward to the 2021 offseason, and Lombardi is in the transfer portal, while Temple graduate transfer Anthony Russo has moved into the program compete for the starting quarterback job against Payton Thorne and numerous others.

Russo presents the team with a proven commodity and a winner that could inject some much-needed stability in head coach Mel Tucker’s second year. The Spartans went 2-5 last year and could use a steady, veteran, winning signal-caller to help get the program get back on track after its struggles in recent years, which no doubt stem largely from poor QB play.

Although Temple wouldn’t be confused as a QB factory, Russo was well on his way to stacking up right behind current Carolina Panther P.J. Walker as the program’s second all-time leading passer, before injuries and COVID-19 brought his 2020 campaign to an end after just three games.

He accounted for 6,292 passing yards, 44 touchdowns against 32 interceptions. The strong, 6-foot-4, 240-pounder has a monster arm capable of rocketing the ball into tight windows, but he’s also able to put the desired touch on an over-the-shoulder throw. Even though he’s got prototypical NFL size and arm talent, he’s far from a plodding pocket passer.

He can move a little as well, as noted by his seven career rushing touchdowns. Temple rolled him out too, allowing him to use his legs and throw strikes on the run. In addition to his quality play on the field, he’s deeply experienced. He started 26 games at Temple, earning a 16-10 record over that span, with two winning seasons in 2018 and 2019.

The weaknesses for Russo are his gunslinger mentality at times. His strong arm gets him into turnover trouble, thinking he can fit the ball anywhere on the field (see his 32 interceptions in 26 starts). However, his arm is also a major reason why he succeeded at a high level prior to MSU.

There’s no doubt that Thorne carries a longer career and possibly greater potential due to him being just a freshman. He played in four games and started one as a redshirt freshman last fall, throwing for 582 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions on a 56.5 completion percentage, while adding another score on the ground.

Due to the NCAA ruling that all players would get a redshirt year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thorne could still have four more years remaining to Russo’s one. The difference is that Russo could make Michigan State football much better in the short term this season, while Thorne and the other youngsters get a year to grow.