East Lansing, Mich. - If Payton Thorne looked a little less mobile than usual while being sacked four times last week against Ohio State, there’s a reason for it.
Thorne revealed on Tuesday that one or more injuries have hampered his foot quickness. He did not elaborate on the specificity of the injuries.
“My running has been a little bit affected since week one,” Thorne said. “My body hasn’t been 100 percent since week one, so my running has not been the same as it always is, unfortunately.
“I’m working my best to get back to that point but I have a few different things going on right now that don’t allow me to run full speed, which is tough. But there are times and places where I do have to run. It’s not a choice thing. It’s not like I don’t feel like running. I’m not full speed right now unfortunately but I will be back full speed here soon.”
Thorne was sacked on his last two dropbacks of the Ohio State game. Three of the four Ohio State sacks could be categorized as coverage sacks, especially the last two.
Thorne was critical of himself for not getting the ball out on time on some of those occasions, although it’s not like he had receivers running open.
A combination of MSU’s lack of running game, and the lack of a receiver who is a consistent threat to take the top off a defense like Jalen Nailor in 2021, has resulted in more coverage traffic in the deep part of the field. Michigan State has been unable to adjust and find consistency with intermediate passing. Thorne’s reduced mobility hasn’t helped.
“I was just talking to coach the other day and saying there are some times when I pull the ball and normally I pull it and I’m thinking I got this guy easily around the corner and he’s not going to be able to catch me but right now I’m just not able to get around that guy, for that reason,” Thorne said. “So my vision and decision-making has to change because I don’t have the speed to get around the edge, so it has changed.”
Taking hits every seven days isn’t helping his recovery process.
“There were a couple of hits again last week that left an effect,” he said. “There have been some times when there has been some contact, but it’s a physical game. That’s why you play it. I don’t dislike contact. But I’ve learned this year you can’t take guys on guys constantly because it’s a marathon, not a sprint and you need your body to play your best.”
As for the four sacks (and a fifth that was nullified by a hand-to-the face penalty), Thorne has the task of trying to play through the heavy contact. Thorne, who set a school record with 27 TD passes last year, has looked increasingly hesitant at times and at other times hasn’t trusted the protection and moved too quickly. He is trying to stay mentally locked-in.
“You just have to get up and keep moving forward,” he said. “You can’t let that seep into your mind and let it affect your play.
“I think of a guy like Joe Burrow. I think he was sacked nine times in a playoff game when they won. That’s a guy that I look at, that stuff doesn’t faze him. You have to move along.
“Sacks aren’t always on one person. There are different reasons for what that happens. You just have to get back up and not let that effect your eyes or your feet.”
BREAKING IT DOWN
According to Pro Football Focus, Thorne was under pressure on 39.1 percent of his dropbacks, Saturday. He was 1-for-4 for 5 yards on those nine dropbacks.
He was 10-of-14 for 108 yards on the 14 dropbacks in which he was not pressured.
For the year, Thorne has been pressured on 23.2 percent of his dropbacks. He has completed 43 percent of those passes for an average of 4.9 yards per attempt.
When he’s been kept clean in the pocket, he has completed 67 percent of those passes for an average of 7.2 yards per attempt.
Last year, Thorne was pressured more often through 13 games - 26.7 percent (compared to 23 percent this year).
When he was kept clean last year, he completed 73.3 percent of his passes (compared to 67 percent this year). He averaged 8.9 yards per attempt when kept clean last year (compared to 7.2 this year).
Statistically, MSU’s pass protection has improved. The changes have taken place down the field.
“We’re seeing a lot more two-high coverage or at least deeper safeties,” Thorne said.
Last year, those safeties were playing closer to the line of scrimmage, focused on containing Kenneth Walker III. Those safeties bit on play action.
Meanwhile, Michigan State has Nailor as a deep threat, and a healthy Jayden Reed as a complementary threat everywhere.
This year, without Nailor and Walker, and with Reed having missed game four at Washington and slowed by injury against Minnesota and Maryland, the less-mobile Thorne has had fewer open targets and more defensive traffic in the deep part of the field.
“So we have to manufacture some of our shots more than we did last year and we just have to execute,” Thorne said. “We are just not hitting on as many balls deep down the field.”
Last year, Thorne was 64-of-127 on passes thrown 10 or more yards down the field (50 percent.
This year, Thorne is 19 of 53 (35 percent). He is on pace to attempt far fewer passes downfield, with a completion percentage dip of 15 percent.
Against Ohio State, Thorne’s first completion was a deep fade to Reed, thrown perfectly for 20 yards.
“I thought we did a better job on Saturday of getting some connects down the field, 20 or 30-plus yards,” Thorne said.
But Thorne was intercepted on his second pass of the day when he forced a deep post to Reed. Ohio State disguised its two-deep coverage on that play with a late drop from one of the safeties from near the linebacker level and outside the hash to the deep half. Thorne didn’t see him, and that safety made the interception in the end zone. That safety joined the other safety, and the cornerback in primary coverage, to form triple coverage by the time the ball arrived.
“We have to keep chopping along and find ways to get the ball down the field,” Thorne said. “Sometimes that’s catch-and-run, and other times it’s throw it 50 yards down the field and let guys make plays.”
On passes thrown 20 or more yards down the field this year, Thorne is 9-of-29 (31 percent) with four TDs and two INTs.
Last year, on throws of 20 or more yards down the field, Thorne was 29-of-70 (41 percent) with 14 TDs and 4 INTs.
Dealing with more two-high coverage, more traffic in the deep end, and operating without much of a run game and fewer explosive receivers has forced Thorne into a new level of learning.
“You are going to see more defenses and maybe a little bit more of something else,” he said. “It just comes with another year of experience. It has helped me and the receivers to work on hitting different things and learning different ways to run routes and stuff like that. Yeah, I would say it’s been different.”
Michigan State has incorporated more moving-pocket plays with passes at 5 or 10 yards on drag routes off of counter boots. Against Ohio State, Michigan State completed two passes on slide routes off of the bootleg rolls. (Slide routes are like drag routes, but the receiver, in these cases Tre Mosley, ran his route on the negative side of the line of scrimmage rather than dragging across at 5 or 10 yards downfield).
Michigan State also completed more short hitches to Mosley in the slot area when he was uncovered and had a free release.
Those passes went for short gains and set up manageable second- or third-down situations, but Michigan State was usually unable to string positive plays together, which will be a common problem for Ohio State opponents.
“Our job is to go execute and we are not doing that at the highest level right now at times, but at some times we are,” Thorne said. “That’s what’s the frustrating part right now is trying to get more consistent at that.”
What needs to be fixed for the offense? Is it mental, physical?
“A little bit of both: mental, technique, communication, knowing what to do, being on the same page as guys,” Thorne said. “There’s a little bit of everything. There is not one glaring thing.
“I feel like we are in good shape for the most part. If you look at our power numbers in the weight room right now, we are the same or stronger than we were last year, more powerful in the weight room. Technique, fundamentals, all the things we talk about, we just have to tune up a little better.”
Thorne is doing what he can to nurse his health situations in order to meet the challenge.
“You just have to keep up with treatment,” Thorne said. “Working with them (trainers and medical support staff) a ton and just getting back right for Saturday. And once you get to Saturday, just go out there and play, and play free.
“Some Saturdays have been a little bit different than others this year, but I’ve been good enough to play at the level I want to. I’m not executing always at the level I want to, but there are other things sometimes that go into that.”
Now, he has to try to help Michigan State get back into the wins column against a Wisconsin team which fired its head coach, Paul Chryst, after a week five loss, due in part to a floundering offense.
Interim head coach Jim Leonhard is regarded as one of the best defensive coordinators in the game. He is auditioning for the head coaching job, and his defense led the nation in total defense a year ago. Like Michigan State, Leonhard’s defense was victimized by Ohio State (the Buckeyes scored touchdowns on their first four possessions). Ohio State beat Wisconsin, 52-21.
But Wisconsin bounced back to demolish a much weaker Northwestern team last week, 42-7.
Leonhard’s defense will be geared up to prolong MSU’s offensive slump.
“They are very disciplined in what they do,” Thorne said of the Badger defense. “I don’t really see coverage busts in what they do. They are gap sound. They will be a good challenge for us offensively.”