Rivals.com has a contractual agreement with Pro Football Focus this year, so I get a subscription to look inside the stats.
Most of the stats are interesting, but some are misleading in my opinion.
For instance, last week, PFF had LJ Scott as the worst grade in pass blocking on the team at a grade of 26.4. (I don't think that means 26.4 percent, but I think they are graded on a 100 scale).
What they don't tell you is that LJ Scott was tasked with mirroring that No. 10 guy, whom no one else for MSU seemed to be able to block. Late in the first half, MSU seemed to take offensive tackles away from No. 10 duty and put LJ Scott on him. That's a big ask, and I thought Scott reduced the grease fire.
Scott was beaten a couple of times in the first half. In the second half, he mirrored that guy like a baskeball defender and did a good job of keeping him out of the backfield. But some of those plays eventually ended up with Lewerke being "hurried," which hurt Scott's grade with PFF. But you're talking about a RB pass protecting in space against one of the best pass rushers they will face all year. It's not like they were assignment LJ Scott to chip block and help vs No. 10 while he engaged with an o-tackle. Usually, an o-tackle was assigned to protect vs someone inside, and they left it all to LJ Scott. I thought he was impressive. He gave good effort.
Scott was on the field for 16 pass blocking plays. That's a load.
PFF had Scott with allowing 2 QB hits and 3 QB hurries, so his stat percentage suffered. But he kept No. 10 reasonably quiet in the second half.
As for the o-linemen in general, PFF grades them (unofficially) this way:
David Beedle: 80.7, which was best on the team, but low for him because he ranked in the high 90s for the year in 2017, ranking among the top five in the nation in returning offensive guards for 2018.
Tyler Higby was 73.4. That seems high to me. He was beaten for a sack by No. 10 when playing left tackle. I thought Higby was kind of so-so in this game. Perhaps he will get better as he goes along.
Luke Campbell: 70.1.
Jordan Reid: 55.9 (he was beaten by No. 10 a couple of times, but blocked No. 55 (Adewale Adeoye) for most of the second half and erased him. Adeoye is a senior who had one sack last year, so he isn't a great pass rusher, but Reid erased him and I'm surprised Reid's PFF grade wasn't better.
Kevin Jarvis: 52.7.
As for reserves:
Blake Bueter: 77.9 in the first quality playing time of his career. He played left guard, giving Beedle a breather during a long third-quarter drive (the one that ended in a field goal after the Cody White TD was called back due to a flag).
Bueter was on the field for 15 snaps.
Matt Allen: 56.7. I didn't see any mistakes from him. He was on the field for 27 snaps.
At yackle, Chase Gianacakos was 37. That figure surprises me. I thought he was serviceable. MSU had Gianacakos responsible for No. 10 during a key third-and-two situation with 1:53 left in the first half. No. 10 began to attack Chase, but then backed off. Lewerke connected with White over the middle for a gain of 10. Gianacakos probably didn't register a passing grade for that play (or a failing one), but MSU showed confidence in him in putting him to the short side, where No. 10 usually played.
**
As for Luke Campbell, he started at left tackle and there were some issues, but he didn't allow a sack.
I had him with a couple of plus plays:
+ Did the job okay vs 10 on third-and-6 pass to Darrell Stewart on short out route early in the 2Q.
- Got off balance on the Heyward wildcat carry during the first drive of 2h, and was flagged for holding as he was getting beat. That's probably the play Dantonio was talking about on Tuesday when he said Campbell got caught without having both feet firmly planted on the ground.
+ On toss sweep, good athletic play to get out to the OLB, helping LJ Scott gain of 6 yard (that was the fist play after Lewerke’s pick six.)
Most of the stats are interesting, but some are misleading in my opinion.
For instance, last week, PFF had LJ Scott as the worst grade in pass blocking on the team at a grade of 26.4. (I don't think that means 26.4 percent, but I think they are graded on a 100 scale).
What they don't tell you is that LJ Scott was tasked with mirroring that No. 10 guy, whom no one else for MSU seemed to be able to block. Late in the first half, MSU seemed to take offensive tackles away from No. 10 duty and put LJ Scott on him. That's a big ask, and I thought Scott reduced the grease fire.
Scott was beaten a couple of times in the first half. In the second half, he mirrored that guy like a baskeball defender and did a good job of keeping him out of the backfield. But some of those plays eventually ended up with Lewerke being "hurried," which hurt Scott's grade with PFF. But you're talking about a RB pass protecting in space against one of the best pass rushers they will face all year. It's not like they were assignment LJ Scott to chip block and help vs No. 10 while he engaged with an o-tackle. Usually, an o-tackle was assigned to protect vs someone inside, and they left it all to LJ Scott. I thought he was impressive. He gave good effort.
Scott was on the field for 16 pass blocking plays. That's a load.
PFF had Scott with allowing 2 QB hits and 3 QB hurries, so his stat percentage suffered. But he kept No. 10 reasonably quiet in the second half.
As for the o-linemen in general, PFF grades them (unofficially) this way:
David Beedle: 80.7, which was best on the team, but low for him because he ranked in the high 90s for the year in 2017, ranking among the top five in the nation in returning offensive guards for 2018.
Tyler Higby was 73.4. That seems high to me. He was beaten for a sack by No. 10 when playing left tackle. I thought Higby was kind of so-so in this game. Perhaps he will get better as he goes along.
Luke Campbell: 70.1.
Jordan Reid: 55.9 (he was beaten by No. 10 a couple of times, but blocked No. 55 (Adewale Adeoye) for most of the second half and erased him. Adeoye is a senior who had one sack last year, so he isn't a great pass rusher, but Reid erased him and I'm surprised Reid's PFF grade wasn't better.
Kevin Jarvis: 52.7.
As for reserves:
Blake Bueter: 77.9 in the first quality playing time of his career. He played left guard, giving Beedle a breather during a long third-quarter drive (the one that ended in a field goal after the Cody White TD was called back due to a flag).
Bueter was on the field for 15 snaps.
Matt Allen: 56.7. I didn't see any mistakes from him. He was on the field for 27 snaps.
At yackle, Chase Gianacakos was 37. That figure surprises me. I thought he was serviceable. MSU had Gianacakos responsible for No. 10 during a key third-and-two situation with 1:53 left in the first half. No. 10 began to attack Chase, but then backed off. Lewerke connected with White over the middle for a gain of 10. Gianacakos probably didn't register a passing grade for that play (or a failing one), but MSU showed confidence in him in putting him to the short side, where No. 10 usually played.
**
As for Luke Campbell, he started at left tackle and there were some issues, but he didn't allow a sack.
I had him with a couple of plus plays:
+ Did the job okay vs 10 on third-and-6 pass to Darrell Stewart on short out route early in the 2Q.
- Got off balance on the Heyward wildcat carry during the first drive of 2h, and was flagged for holding as he was getting beat. That's probably the play Dantonio was talking about on Tuesday when he said Campbell got caught without having both feet firmly planted on the ground.
+ On toss sweep, good athletic play to get out to the OLB, helping LJ Scott gain of 6 yard (that was the fist play after Lewerke’s pick six.)
