Michigan State has found something useful in the quarterback room, and it starts with contrast. One player brings one look, another brings a completely different one, and the Spartans are using both to keep the offense moving.
Head coach Pat Fitzgerald said the relationship between the two quarterbacks has made the arrangement work.
“I think there's a great camaraderie between the two of them," head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “When Les (Alessio) is out there, Cam’s his biggest fan, and then vice versa. But, yeah, I've done this before, and you just continue to find ways to make explosive plays and create touchdown drives.”
It is not a brand-new idea for Fitzgerald. He pointed back to his time at Northwestern, where he used a similar setup, and said the closest parallel came in 2013 with Trevor Siemian and Kain Colter. Fitzgerald called them “1A and 1B."
That season, Siemian handled nearly 300 pass attempts and threw for more than 2,100 yards, while Colter had 80 completions for 577 yards. But Colter’s value went well beyond the numbers through the air. He kept defenses honest with his legs, running 115 times for 489 yards and forcing coordinators to account for him whenever he stepped in.
Michigan State has gotten that same kind of change-of-pace impact from Fancher this season. Through three games, the UCF transfer has completed 6 of 7 passes for 44 yards.
He has also carried the ball five times for 29 yards and a touchdown. Most of that work came last week against the No. 3 team in the country, and his production is expected to climb from here.
“I'm always one play away, so just always having that mentality that my number can be called at any moment, just to be prepared for the opportunity, and to just try to make the most of it,” Fancher said.
The setup lets Sheridan keep defenses guessing without pulling the second-year quarterback out of his main job as the offense’s lead option. Sheridan said both quarterbacks are capable of running what the Spartans want to do.
“Every player has certain strengths or weaknesses, and so you're always trying to put them in position to be successful,” Sheridan said. “Cam can run our offense, and so can Les (Alessio).”
Milivojevic is benefiting from the arrangement as well. The rotation helps reduce the punishment he takes, and Fancher’s experience gives him another set of eyes on what defenses are showing.
The two quarterbacks talk after each play and each series, and they keep comparing notes in practice too. Milivojevic said that exchange has been a real help.
“He’s helped me tremendously, just having the guy to kind of talk to after each play, talk to after each series,” Milivojevic said. “Even in practice, talk to him, like, what did he see?
What did I see? Kind of just going back and forth.”
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The most interesting developments have come in the usage patterns. Second-string quarterback Cam Fancher has already been worked into specific offensive situations, while tight end Jayden Savoury and wide receiver Charles Taplin have been earning more time as the weeks go by. On defense, transfer lineman Trey Lisle saw his role expand against Notre Dame, a sign Michigan State is willing to keep exploring different looks if those rising players keep giving the staff reasons to trust them. [Read more 🡒]