Harlon Barnett says 'it's still competition mode' for Michigan State's quarterbacks

EAST LANSING – Eight games into Michigan State football’s season, six games into the Spartans’ ongoing losing streak, one big roster question remains.

Who is MSU’s starting quarterback?

“It's still competition mode. … It's still a competition,” interim coach Harlon Barnett on Monday of the brewing battle between redshirt freshman Katin Houser and true freshman Sam Leavitt coming out of Saturday’s 27-12 loss at Minnesota.

Barnett also confirmed that Noah Kim, who started the first five games, has been hurt after hinting at a potential injury situation since moving Houser into the starting role before the 27-24 loss Oct. 14 at Rutgers. Kim’s potential return in the final four weeks could again prompt another change, though Barnett said he does not feel the junior will be available as MSU closes its home portion of the schedule Saturday against Nebraska (noon/FS1).

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“He's still probably a few weeks off, if I had to guess. And so we want to make sure he's completely healthy,” Barnett said of Kim. “He's a tough guy. I can tell you when he was out there, he wasn't being totally honest with us. But I kind of like guys like that. I like nuts. He's a good football player, but he was just trying to tough it through. He was more injured than what he should have been, so we're gonna make sure he's completely healed before we put him back out there.”

That leaves the battle to start for MSU (2-6, 0-5 Big Ten) against the surging Cornhuskers (5-3, 3-2) up to the two youngest quarterbacks on the roster and the only healthy scholarship options in Houser and Leavitt.

“Any young player can be a fragile player, so to speak. You don't want to mess them up, you want to see them continue to grow every time they get a chance to play and show what they can do,” Barnett said. “We've just been trying to build them and grow them. Because that's what we are as coaches, we're mentors, we're developers of players. And so that's what we're just trying to do, help keep them developing and getting better and better and better.”

Saturday was Houser’s third straight start, and his struggles to move the offense that began in the fourth quarter at Rutgers continued. Against the Gophers, the Spartans went three-and-out five times in 10 drives through three quarters with the 6-foot-3, 215-pound native of California playing in his first cold-weather game. MSU had just eight first downs through the first 45 minutes, two of those coming on Minnesota penalties for pass interference and defensive holding.

Houser finished 12 of 22 for 117 passing yards and ran only twice for 6 yards. He did not commit a turnover.

“Katin, he didn't turn the ball over,” Barnett said. “He ran the offense efficiently and did a good job.”

However, the Spartans gained just 174 total yards before Houser was pulled. They have gone eight consecutive quarters without a touchdown with him at quarterback, as well as having 12 three-and-out drives in 21 possessions between the end of the loss at Rutgers, the home blowout against Michigan and Saturday against the Gophers.

MSU enters this week ranked tied for 125th out of 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams and the worst among Power Five programs at just 18.0 points per game. The Spartans have averaged just 12 points in Houser’s three starts.

Barnett opted to give Leavitt his longest look of the season, the entire fourth quarter, and the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Oregon native showed plenty of good along with some rookie mistakes.

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More importantly, he directed the Spartans to 125 of their 299 total yards and their first touchdown drive since Houser put up scores in each of the first three quarters against the Scarlet Knights.

“You saw Sam come in and move us down the field, and we actually scored a touchdown,” Barnett said, “but we did have two turnovers. … You want to use all the weapons that you can use to try to go down and get a score. And so that's what we're trying to do, score by any means possible.”

With running back depth beyond starter Nate Carter decimated by injuries and attrition, Leavitt displayed an ability to take off and run both by design and when the pocket collapsed around him.

On his first play, Leavitt dashed around the right end on a designed QB run for 6 yards. Two plays later, on third-and-6, he escaped pressure and took off up the middle, weaving through traffic for another 6 yards and a first down.

On the next snap out of the shotgun, he launched an underthrown ball down the right side to Jaron Glover for 29 yards and another first down. The next play, on a delay quarterback draw, Leavitt spun through defenders for another 9-yard run. Two plays after that, he tucked and ran again for 13 more yards.

Leavitt finished with a team-leading 52 yards rushing on six attempts.

After a Minnesota timeout, Leavitt delivered a play-action fake to Carter and zipped a tight spiral in-stride to Tyrell Henry on a slant route to beat coverage for a 9-yard touchdown. It was the first of the quarterback’s young career in just his fourth collegiate drive. It was an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive, with Leavitt going 4 of 4 passing for 41 yards and adding 34 yards on four rushes.

Leavitt completed the two-point pass to Montorie Foster, who was tackled short of the goal line, but the Spartans also committed a penalty on the attempt.

“Sam came in, did his job, played with confidence,” said Foster, who added that Leavitt brought “a spark” to the offense.

Leavitt finished the game 8 of 12 for 73 yards through the air, one of the incompletions a drop by tight end Jaylan Franklin on a perfectly placed pass. He fumbled on a strip-sack on MSU’s next drive, then threw his second interception of the year trying to force a throw toward the end zone after guiding the Spartans 54 yards on eight plays in their final possession. That drive also included another 22-yard scramble on a delay QB draw, as well as using his legs to evade pressure and extend the pocket.

“That was good by Sam, just recognizing when he had an opening to take off and to use his legs,” Barnett said. “That's those weapons for him, as well as his arm. He saw a chance to take advantage of the situation, and that's what he did.”

For the season, Houser is competing 57.3% of his 89 passes for 509 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Leavitt is 14-for-21 for 114 yards, the TD and two picks, and he's also the team's third-leading rusher at 65 yards. Kim has completed 56.9% of his 160 passes with six touchdowns and six interceptions as well as 53 rushing yards. He did not travel to Minnesota and has not played since Sept. 30 at Iowa.

Leavitt now has played in three games. He has one more that he can play in without burning his redshirt season, which Houser took last year while being the No. 3 quarterback behind since-departed Payton Thorne and then-backup Kim. Leavitt said last week he has not made a decision on whether he might decide to play in just four games and preserve his extra season of eligibility.

With a coaching change on the horizon, any combination of Houser, Leavitt and Kim could decide to transfer out as well. One also could seize the job in the final month to give the next staff someone to build around under center.

Wherever they might be, Barnett feels his two youngsters have promising futures ahead of them.

“They're good young players. They're gonna be really, really good players before it's all said and done, both of them,” Barnett said of Houser and Leavitt. “And so we just gotta keep developing them and keep believing in them and trusting them. … You'll start seeing marked improvement, I think as we move forward and as the competition continues to heat up.”

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football's quarterback carousel going into final month