Jeff Seidel

Detroit Free Press Columnist

EAST LANSING – This is a story about the human side of a quarterback controversy.

It’s a story about character and dignity.

It’s about true leadership.

Late Saturday night, Tyler O’Connor went up on a stage and sat in front of a microphone after Michigan State lost to BYU, 31-14.

Even though he was benched in the second half.

Even though MSU now has a full-blown quarterback controversy.

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O’Connor faced the TV cameras and answered questions with remarkable poise, staying until every reporter was gone. He is the senior captain, the voice of this struggling offense, even though it is not clear he is still the starter.

Can you imagine what he was going through at that moment? He had every right to be upset and frustrated. He wasn’t the reason the Spartans lost this game, and he didn’t deserve to be yanked. O’Connor completed seven of 11 passes for 58 yards, and two of those incomplete passes were drops. More than anything, he was a victim of the play-calling. When he was allowed to throw the ball, he did just fine, leading the Spartans to a touchdown. When the offense turned conservative and stayed on the ground, the Spartans didn’t score. Funny how that works.

“You can’t sit back and say you are not upset about what has happened,” O’Connor said, speaking in general terms. “I’ve been for this team the whole time I’ve been here. Whatever they do, I’ll have their back and roll with it. I’m going to keep giving my all.”

There are countless professional athletes who wouldn’t be able to handle a situation with that kind of class. It was remarkable. And it shows one of the reasons, I suppose, why O’Connor is a captain of this team. At that moment, he put the team above himself, which was hardly a surprise. He could have transferred years ago, after Connor Cook became the starter. But he stayed for this moment, for this season, waiting for Cook to graduate. Now everything has crumbled around him. The Spartans are stuck in a three-game losing streak, and they still haven’t played Ohio State or Michigan.

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At the same time, about 10 feet away, Damion Terry sat surrounded by a different group of reporters.

Terry replaced O’Connor at quarterback. He was put into a tough position, doing a delicate dance, trying to answer questions about the quarterback situation.

“It’s so hard,” Terry said. “I’m such good friends with (O’Connor). We’ll never let this get between us.”

This is the other side of the quarterback controversy.

Two quarterbacks, good friends, who are roommates on the road.

“Do you feel you did enough to be the starter?” somebody asked Terry.

“Yes,” Terry replied. “But I definitely need to improve on stuff.”

Terry completed six of 10 passes for 63 yards with an interception, and he led MSU on a scoring drive.

“I definitely think when I went in there and did the 2-minute offense, we kept the defense on their heels,” he said.

If O’Connor is known for his leadership and poise, Terry has those legs and escape velocity. He ran eight times for 29 yards, including a long of 13. He puts a different kind of pressure on the defense.

“It’s just real fun, going out there, quick to the line, defense doesn’t know what’s going on,” he said. “Definitely, I’d like to think I gave them a spark. But we need to get a ‘W.’ ”

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This is a desperate time for Michigan State. It is clear coach Mark Dantonio is grasping for answers.

The offense has lacked explosion and consistency. The Spartans ran for just 85 yards against BYU, an average of just 2.7 yards per carry. And everybody is trying to figure out what’s wrong.

“It’s 10 guys doing everything right, not 11,” O’Connor said. “It’s someone different every time. It’s overall chemistry. We have said, over the years, we win here with chemistry. It’s something simple like miscommunicating up front, or a wide receiver not getting depth, or a quarterback not putting it in the right spot, or a running back not running in the right hole. I think it’s 10 or nine guys doing everything right, and one or two messing up. It’s not the same position every time. It’s on us. It’s not the play-calling. We just have to execute it.”

First, MSU must change its approach. When the Spartans had a great defense loaded with players destined for the NFL, it was understandable to use conservative play-calling. But there are so many injuries on defense that MSU must change its mind-set. The offense has to go out and win a game. That means taking chances, even if there is bad field position. You have to go out and try to win, instead of trying not to lose.

“We all evaluate ourselves,” O’Connor said. “I’m sure (co-offensive coordinator Dave) Warner will do the same thing. Whatever is called, we have to execute.”

The Spartans are struggling on offense and struggling on defense and struggling with injuries.

But one thing is clear.

This team doesn’t have a leadership problem.

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Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel/.

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