(Getty)
Getting your first career start against the third ranked Ohio State Buckeyes is not an ideal circumstance, but it happened by necessity on Saturday for Tyler O’Connor. Despite saying all week he would be able to play, Michigan State starting quarterback Connor Cook did not start the game. Cook has been nursing a sore shoulder.
He took part in pre-game warmups but evidently was not cleared to play against Ohio State. O’Connor got the start in place of the injured Cook.
He played last week in Cook’s place against Maryland. He was 6-of-11 for 44 yards with one interception and one touchdown. O’Connor played in extremely limited action in one other game this season.
He appeared in four total games in the 2014 season. O’Connor has played in nine total games at Michigan State as a red-shirt junior.
According to Yahoo Sports, O’Connor was three-star recruit from Lima, Ohio. He was recruited by a number of schools including Louisville, West Virginia and Boston College. He was ranked in the top-20 of pro-style quarterbacks by Rivals coming out of high school.