Central Michigan vs Michigan State: Final grades for the Spartans

Sep 26, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back Gerald Holmes (24) runs the ball against Central Michigan Chippewas linebacker Nathan Ricketts (42) during the 1st quarter of a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Running backs: B+

Another facet of the game that isn’t quite at 100 percent right now is the run game. Michigan State’s offense stuck to the run for most of the contest versus Central Michigan and the Spartans played well enough here to provide a victory in East Lansing Saturday afternoon.

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No single player really stood out as a breakout performer against Central Michigan, but Gerald Holmes can be considered the hero of the fourth quarter, even though he ran for just 22 yards on four carries all game. Holmes had a big 17-yard reception to spark the offense late as well as two five-yard touchdown scampers to put the game out of reach for the Chips, extending the lead to 30-10.

As for L.J. Scott, the true freshman bounced back with a solid game, running for 54 yards on only eight carries — he didn’t play much in the second half for some reason. London, the starter, finished once again as the Spartans’ leading rusher with 73 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

Despite no breakout players, the run game is the real reason Michigan State ended up pulling away with a victory, putting up 185 total yards and three touchdowns.

Next: Wide receivers