The No. 15 MSU football team faces a unique challenge in defending 6-foot-4, 240-pound Minnesota quarterback MarQueis Gray, and there’s probably few on the team who understand that like Isaiah Lewis.
Lewis, who grew up in Indianapolis, Ind., went to the same high school as Gray. Although it likely won’t serve as a big game plan advantage — because Lewis “hasn’t played again him in a while and things change,” — playing safety taught Lewis just the type of quarterback the hefty Minnesota signal caller was and still is: one that makes tacklers pay.
“He’s not like any other quarterback,” Lewis said. “He’s not going to try to run out of bounds. He’s a big guy so he can hit with most defensive linemen and linebackers. And (defensive) backs especially. He’s going to try to run you over.”
Probably not the best matchup for Lewis, who is 50 pounds lighter, a few inches shorter and is coming off of a shoulder injury against Nebraska.
However, the sophomore safety makes his name off of interceptions. He leads the Big Ten with four and ranks seventh nationally.
Getting a bounce back win and making a statement comes first on Lewis’ list of goals, he said. But intercepting his fifth pass off his friend would make Saturday that much better.
“I want to pick him off so I can talk some smack to him,” said Lewis, who keeps in touch with Gray occasionally and would use the interception as bragging rights.
For Gray, his first season as the starting quarterback hasn’t went as smoothly as he probably hoped.
Along with missing some time to injury, he is completing only 51 percent of his passes for 940 yards and has as many passing touchdowns (3) as interceptions. However, there is a silver lining.
Gray, who converted to a starting wide receiver for the Gophers in 2010 before changing back this season, has been able to make plays with his legs. With 500 yards on 105 rushing attempts, he has more than any player on the team.
“There’s a lot of … designed quarterback runs, and then there’s also times where he just breaks the pocket and makes it happen,” MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said. “So he’s a guy that there’s no question we have to be able to control him if we’re going to win this football game.”
Last in rushing
On paper, the Spartans own the worst rushing attack in the Big Ten. Only once this year has a Spartan running back eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark — junior Edwin Baker had 167 yards against Michigan — and MSU is averaging only 133.4 yards per game.
The Spartans have three capable backs in Baker, junior Larry Caper and sophomore Le’Veon Bell, so the numbers are pretty disappointing to them.
But Bell said Tuesday he can’t see the unit finishing last.
“I don’t really keep up with the numbers or rankings and stuff, but I just think as long as we run the ball effectively and make teams respect our run game, that’s going to help us win games,” he said.
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