Opinion Roundtable: Which Quarterback Is Going To Have The Better Day?
Michigan is expected to beat Michigan State pretty easily on Saturday but it would be just like Sparty to come into Ann Arbor as a big underdog and give U-M everything it can handle. If things end up playing out that way, senior quarterback Brian Lewerke is going to have a good day and Michigan's own senior signal caller is likely going to have a bad performance. If the opposite occurs, Michigan might just rout their in-state rival.
A lot takes place during the course of a college football game but quarterback play is usually at or near the top of the list in determining who wins. With that said, which quarterback is going to have the better day — Brian Lewerke or Shea Patterson?
Brandon Brown
I actually think Shea Patterson is going to have the better day by quite a bit.
Our own Michael Spath wrote an article after the Notre Dame game entitled, "Ian Book Joins The 'Michigan Defense Made Me Look Bad' Club," after a dominant performance by the U-M defense against Book and the Irish. Since then, Josh Jackson of Maryland has also joined the club. I think Lewerke is next — again.
Michigan State is reeling, Mark Dantonio is likely on his way out of East Lansing, Sparty's offense is terrible and Michigan is rolling and at home on Saturday. To me, that sounds like the formula for a long, long outing for young Mr. Lewerke.
I don't think either quarterback is going to light it up, because they never do, but I see Patterson having more success at home and with more talent at his disposal than Lewerke.
Steve Deace
By any measure except the most important one, wins, Brian Lewerke is having a better season than Shea Patterson. He's thrown for more yards, and he's nine spots higher in the QBR rankings. Despite clearly having inferior personnel around him than Patterson is lining up with.
I expect that trend to continue on Saturday, and Lewerke will throw for more yards than Patterson in the game (provided he's healthy). However, I expect the other trend will continue as well. Patterson is quarterbacking the better team, so he will win the game. I don't think he'll have some kind of career game, even though Jack Coan, Michael Penix, and Brandon Peters have each had their most prolific passing games against Sparty. Patterson either won't be asked to do that, or can't, based on what we've seen the first nine games. I expect Lewerke (if he's healthy) to win the stats, but Patterson to win the game.
Michael Spath
Can we say neither?
Statistically, Brian Lewerke has had more 250-yard games this year (four) than Shea Patterson (two) but his pass efficiency numbers are just as pedestrian. In a college football world in which a rating of 150.0 is above average and 135.0 is average in 2019, Lewerke (two above 150.0 and six below 135.0) and Patterson (four above 150.0, five below 135.0) certainly don't have much to brag about this year.
Lewerke's issue is turnovers (seven interceptions) and inaccuracy, with five games in which he has completed less than 53.0% of his attempts. Patterson doesn't throw for many yards (he has just two contests of 250+ yards) and he's also inaccurate, with four games below 54.0%.
Lewerke is more of the straw that stirs Michigan State's drink than Patterson, but Patterson has the better supporting cast, by a long shot. I imagine Lewerke will put up more passing yards, but that's about the only statistical category that will favor the Spartan. Neither QB stars Saturday, but Patterson puts up the only stat that matters: a W.
How do you see each quarterback performing? What kind of outcome will it lead to? Comment below!!!
