Air Force vs Michigan State: Grading the Spartans’ performance

Sep 19, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back Madre London (28) stiff arms Michigan State Spartans safety Chris Laneaux (14) during the 1st quarter of a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Running backs: C-

Why didn’t I give this position group a lower grade after averaging 1.8 yards per carry all game long? Because they didn’t have a single hole to run through on the offensive line. It’s tough to watch these young running backs struggle, but the offensive line wasn’t helping them since every time they got the ball on a handoff, the gap was already stuffed.

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It seemed like every time these guys ran to the hole that they were supposed to, it wasn’t there or they were even hit before then and were forced to fight their way back to the line of scrimmage.

After a week in which L.J. Scott was named co-Big Ten Freshman of the Week and Madre London finished with his first career 100-yard rushing game against the No. 7 team in the country, the Spartans’ offense wasn’t prepared for such an aggressive Air Force defense.

Scott finished with just 23 yards on 11 carries with a long run of six, London had 40 yards on 17 carries with a long of 11 and Gerald Holmes also got in on the action, sort of, rushing three times for just seven yards. It was tough sledding for this unit on Saturday and it’s not all on the running backs.

Next: Receivers