He wasn’t there for a long time, but he was there for a good time.
The story of former Michigan football edge rusher Chase Winovich is one of perseverance. Recruited to the Wolverines as a linebacker, he played tight end, fullback, special teams gunner, before finally bulking up and making the switch to defensive end prior to the 2016 season.
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And in that year, Winovich went from a virtual unknown to a fan favorite nearly overnight.
Known by his flowing locks under his helmet, Winovich became a starter in 2017, a role he’d have for two years. Outspoken with the media, he was the Wolverine who coined the term ‘revenge tour’ in 2018, which sparked both adulation by Michigan fans and disgust amongst their rivals.
Winovich was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft by the New England Patriots where he was initially productive but fell off as time wore on. He got new life briefly in Cleveland, where he let fans pick his number (and thus wore No. 69). In 2023, he started the season with the Houston Texans but was cut and found himself on the Miami Dolphins practice squad.
But earlier this week, Winovich announced he’s hanging up his cleats.
Loss to Minnesota affirms Michigan State football has a quarterback problem
Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press
Sun, Oct 29, 2023, 12:27 AM GMT+1·5 min read
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Free Press sports writer Rainer Sabin answers three questions after Michigan State football lost to Minnesota, 27-12, on Saturday in Minneapolis.
How would Michigan State respond after worst home loss in program history?
It would have been reasonable to assume the Spartans’ spirit was broken after Michigan dismantled them in a 49-0 romp last Saturday. The defeat, which extended their losing streak to five games, was the lowest point yet during a miserable season where the Spartans have been rocked by the scandal that prompted the firing of their coach, Mel Tucker.
“You gotta shake it off and keep fighting,” Tucker’s interim replacement, Harlon Barnett, said afterward.
A strong response against Minnesota seemed to be wishful thinking on Barnett’s part.
GAME RECAP: Michigan State football’s slide extends to six games with 27-12 loss at Minnesota
But he somehow extracted one from his players on Saturday.
From the outset, MSU looked like a team that still had some juice.
The Spartans forced a pair of fumbles on MSU’s two opening drives, which sowed the seeds for an early 6-0 lead.
The turnovers highlighted a strong defensive effort in the first half when the Spartans denied the Gophers on their first five possessions and benefited from a productive pass rush that netted three sacks. Freshman linebacker Jordan Hall
was responsible for two of them, including the one that resulted in MSU’s second takeaway. But Hall wasn’t the only one who made an impact. Simeon Barrow, who returned to the team Thursday after briefly entering the transfer portal earlier in the week, was a force. The interior lineman drew attention from multiple blockers, opening lanes for linebackers like Hall. He also blocked a 35-yard field goal in the second quarter, keeping Minnesota scoreless at the time.
Although Scottie Hazelton’s crew wasn’t able to sustain their performance over the course of the game, they proved that they were still eager to compete. That was impressive, considering how bleak the state of MSU football is these days.
Did this loss confirm MSU has a QB problem?
Tucker’s decision to open a quarterback competition at the outset of spring will probably go down as one of the most reckless in his ill-fated tenure. It prompted two-year starter Payton Thorne to flee MSU for Auburn, leaving the Spartans without an experienced option at the most important position on the team. While Thorne has failed to impress with the Tigers, he had one of his best outings of his season Saturday in a victory over Mississippi State. Thorne’s solid performance was pieced together at the same time Katin Houser looked out of his depth against Minnesota in his third career start.
The redshirt freshman threw a series of inaccurate passes and at times, wasn’t on the same page as his receivers. Case in point: A third-down play in the second quarter, when Houser fired the ball toward Montorie Foster in the flat as the wide receiver continued to run upfield. That pass, which was nearly intercepted, encapsulated Houser’s shaky quarterbacking during an afternoon when he went 12-for-22 for 117 yards. He did little to galvanize MSU’s offense and often held it back. After a solid debut against Rutgers earlier this month, there was hope Houser could lift the Spartans following Noah Kim’s doomed stint as Thorne’s successor. But in MSU’s last two losses to Michigan and Minnesota, he’s done nothing to inspire any confidence that he will reinvigorate the listless Spartans. So, MSU turned to Sam Leavitt in the fourth quarter looking for that elusive spark that has been missing since Thorne exited East Lansing.
Should MSU turn to Leavitt the rest of the season?
A loss seemed all but certain when Leavitt entered the game with 12:07 left in regulation. The Gophers had just widened their lead to 11 points when Jordan Nubin sprinted to the end zone on an 18-yard run. Considering how poorly MSU’s offense had functioned up until that point, it was an advantage that looked insurmountable. But Leavitt immediately gave MSU hope that it could overcome the deficit. He propelled the Spartans in a way Houser couldn’t, using his arm and his legs to carry them down the field.
During an 8-play, 75-yard scoring drive that elapsed over 3 minutes, 30 seconds, the true freshman was the catalyst for the surge. He completed all four of his pass attempts for 41 yards, including a nine-yard touchdown strike to Tyrell Henry that made the score 17-12. Leavitt also gained 34 yards on the ground, picking up a pair of first downs in the process.
Most of all, he gave his team new life, jolting MSU out of its stupor.
Yet Leavitt’s positive effect was only temporary. He lost a fumble on the Spartans’ next drive, which highlighted his inexperience at the same time it dashed MSU’s dream of a comeback. Then, in a fit of desperation in the final minutes, he threw an interception after he made the wrong read. But were the turnovers enough to overshadow what Leavitt did on MSU’s lone touchdown drive? That’s Barnett’s call. Few will argue with him, however, if he chooses to go with Leavitt for the rest of the season after the limitations of Houser and Kim have been laid bare.
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