Michigan State Football: Don't Disregard Payton Thorne's Performance

In football, teams don't get very far without a sure thing under center; Michigan State may found the answer to many of its problems.

For once, don't think about the outcome; forget that Michigan State surrendered an 11-point lead and lost to Penn State, 39-24.

The MSU football program needs to find one thing right now – a quarterback, and after what Payton Thorne did in the first half, they may have found him.

Again, Michigan State is in the middle of a rebuild; it's year-one.

Spartan Nation should be excited because the future got a little brighter inside Beaver Stadium.

Yes, there are tons of narratives surrounding the position for 2021 with Hampton Fay coming to East Lansing and Mel Tucker's willingness to utilize the transfer portal; however, what are the odds he convinces a dominant QB to transfer to MSU?

Now, of course, it's insane to think Thorne is the next great Spartan quarterback following one start, yet his performance exemplified a lot more than just potential.

I'm sure fans are shouting from the rooftops wondering why the coaching staff didn't pull Rocky Lombardi sooner and go another direction.

To those people, I say pump the brakes; though Thorne flashed his talent against Indiana and Ohio State, he didn't look ready to be the full-fledged starter.

The redshirt freshman needed time to settle in, he deserved a chance to start and finish a game, and when Penn State made the necessary adjustments, it was clear he still has work to do.

But don't disregard what he accomplished; the throws he made, his movement in the pocket, the ability to know when to take a sack or toss it out of bounds.

He was accurate with deep balls, intermediate throws, and placed it well in traffic.

In this sport, you can't do anything without a sure thing under center; Michigan State may have just found the answer to many of its problems.

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