Michigan State Football: 5 important fixes that need to be made in 2017
3. Stick with the hot hand at running back
How many times was there a collective groan in the stadium upon finding out a different running back would be taking the field after one had dominated a drive? Far too often.
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For example, LJ Scott would rack up 60 yards on eight carries, capping the drive off with a touchdown run, beaming with confidence and the next time the offense took the field, Gerald Holmes would be in the game. Poor coaching right there.
No, Holmes isn’t a poor back. In fact, he’s one of the more explosive runners in the conference who doesn’t get enough credit just because he’s the backup. However, the staff should be feeding the hot hand in order to create some offensive consistency. Taking Scott out would just cool him off and often times, there’s a hiccup in rhythm with a new running back.
In order to avoid these types of speed bumps, the staff needs to stick with that hot hand until he can’t run anymore. No, don’t overwork the lead runner, but don’t take him out after he gained a ton of confidence on a given drive.