Michigan State Football: Report card for win against Ohio State

Nov 21, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back Gerald Holmes (24) carries the ball as Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Joshua Perry (37) chases in the fourth quarter at Ohio Stadium. The Spartans won 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Running Backs: A

That stat sheet will not show a single running back with huge numbers but, the game was put in their hands and they won it. It was blatantly obvious that the Spartans were only going to throw in emergency situations. In the second half the Spartans only through four times for six yards.

Ohio State quickly realized they were rarely going to be challenged deep and played to stop the run. Even though they knew it was coming, the Spartans still rushed for 203 yards on 51 carries.

Gerald Holmes and LJ Scott were the main catalysts coming out of the backfield. Holmes ran hard every time he touched the ball, punishing tacklers, often gaining an extra yard or two after first contact. He finished the day with 65 yards on 14 carries and a hard-earned touchdown.

Coach Dantonio went with Scott in crunch time and it paid huge dividends for the Spartans. Despite fumbling twice last week against Maryland, Coach Dantonio still showed the faith in the dynamic Scott. He finished the day with 58 yards on 13 carries, picking up critical yardage on the final drive to put MSU in field position and a very underrated 20 yard gain when the Spartans were backed deep in OSU territory that helped flip field position.

Eight Spartans ran the ball to get to that 203 yards, it was certainly a group effort but Holmes and Scott seem to have established themselves as a very formidable one-two punch with their hard-fought performance against the Buckeyes.

Next: Wide Receivers