Michigan State Football: 5 players who must step up Week 6 vs. Michigan

Michigan State Football: 5 players who need to step up vs. Michigan in Week 6

ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 17: Wide receiver Brandon Sowards #15 and running back LJ Scott #3 of the Michigan State Spartans take the field before the college football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium on October 17, 2015 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MI – OCTOBER 29: LJ Scott #3 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates a first quarter touchdown while playing the Michigan Wolverines at Spartan Stadium on October 29, 2016 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

LJ Scott RB

Michigan State Spartans /

Scouting Report

When he’s on his game, LJ Scott is one of the top running backs in the country. Unfortunately, since his solid freshman season in 2015, he hasn’t been on his game as often as he or MSU would like.

After a rough four-game stretch (133 total rushing yards and zero touchdowns) last year, Scott went on a tear, running for 128 yards against Maryland, 139 against Michigan, 122 against Rutgers and 160 against Ohio State. Can he break out of his slow start to the 2017 season in similar fashion against the Wolverines? Michigan State might need him to.

While the Spartans have three talented backs in Scott, Gerald Holmes and Madre London, it would behoove MSU for one of them to command the lion’s share of the carries. Homes and London are talented backs in their own right, but when Scott is really going, there’s no question which is the best of the bunch.

With so much inexperience on this Michigan State roster, it needs all of its proven players to play like stars Saturday. This is Scott’s time to return to form.

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