Michigan State Football: Report card for win over Iowa
Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back LJ Scott (3) dives in for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the Big Ten Conference football championship game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Running Backs: A
Since the bye week, including the loss to Nebraska, Michigan State has averaged a solid 170 rushing yards per game. Over the past three games, Michigan State has averaged about 188 yards on the ground. Before the bye, the Spartans were rushing for just 150 yards per contest with multiple games of under 100 yards on the ground.
The running backs are starting to gain some confidence as the weeks go by, and the one-yard runs up the middle on first down are starting to turn into four or five-yard gains.
Let’s begin with Gerald Holmes who started the game yet again for Michigan State. He may have finished with just three carries for 13 yards, but he proves to be a dynamic threat in the run game who defenses have to prepare heavily for.
Madre London has picked up his play and is earning more carries. He’s starting to look like the running back we expected at the beginning of the year and haven’t seen since his injury. He finished with 60 yards on 12 carries, giving him 80 on 13 rushes over the past two games.
Lastly, the game’s hero, LJ Scott. The true freshman really proved to be the key factor in the win, leading Michigan State on the final drive with solid run after solid run — much like he did against Ohio State on the last possession.
Scott finished with 73 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, which includes the one-yard touchdown with 27 seconds left on the clock to win the game. In case you just want to watch it again, here it is in all its glory:
"LJ Scott powers in the game-winning Touchdown to win the B1G Championship! @drpepper #OneOfAKindPlay #CFBPlayoff https://t.co/m8Dg3vAioh — FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 6, 2015"
Next: Wide Receivers