The first half was full of fireworks.

The second half? Not so much, as the Demon Deacons failed to score, and was only able to come up with 86 total yards of offense, completely falling apart in a game against a very beatable opponent.

Michigan State won the game 27-21, but the final score doesn't even begin to tell the picture.

Newman completed just 44% of his passes on Friday evening at Yankee Stadium, and actually ended up leaving the game late in the 4th due to an injury.

Earlier in the season, he was hyped up by several commentators and NFL analysts who saw him as a future NFL starter, with some even going as far as calling him a first rounder.

All of those talks have quieted, and even if he does decide to return, there are doubts about just how much of a hold he has on the top spot.

Sam Hartman will be a RS Soph. next year.

Tayvon Bowers and Michael Kern are still on the roster, too. Mitch Griffis will be moving onto campus in a matter of days.

The QB competition, while it would favor Newman if he decides to return, wouldn't be handed to him.

Let's back-track for a minute.

Prior to Friday's bowl game, both Carlos Basham and Sage Surratt announced their intentions to return to school. Newman would be the third of the very productive trio, to go along with the rest of the roster.

Donavon Greene showed flashes in the back-half of the season of the role he can play in the future, making plays all over the field as a true freshman.

Defensively, it looked like the unit took steps backwards as the season progressed. Michigan State did not have a good season, to the point that many thought at some point the head coach would be fired or forced to resign after the season.

The Spartans put up 27 points, their QB played his best game of the season, and they racked up nearly 500 yards of total offense. To sum things up, they averaged 6.3 yards per play, and Wake Forest's leading tackler was the free safety. That's never a good sign.

After getting a win in the bowl game, the Spartans will go into the off-season with momentum.

Wake Forest will not.

The focus this off-season, and in the late signing period will be adding more talent to the roster, especially in the secondary, following the departure of both Bassey and Henderson in the off-season.