Michigan State Football: Report card for loss to Northwestern in Week 9

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EVANSTON, IL – OCTOBER 28: Madre London #28 of the Michigan State Spartans is gang-tackled by (L-R) Kyle Queiro #21, Brett Walsh #10 and Paddy Fisher #42 of the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on October 28, 2017 in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern defeated Michigan State 39-31 in triple overtime.(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

. RB. Michigan State. RUNNING BACKS. C-

Watching the run game try to pick up yardage in the first half and most of the third quarter was tough. It was clear that the running backs and offensive line were both frustrated with the lack of running room and it’s time to figure out what really is wrong with this area of the offense.

The holes were closed quickly, but when there were some lanes, the backs seemed hesitant to hit them the way they had been in recent weeks. It seemed as if the Spartans were running timidly, maybe in fear of fumbling the football like LJ Scott did in the first half — again. Fortunately, Scott didn’t lose the fumble, but it was another cough-up, which is a troubling trend.

Scott finished with just 16 yards on eight carries and looked as pedestrian as anyone. Madre London had just eight yards on three carries and Gerald Holmes had 13 yards on five touches. The three backs combined for just 16 carries all game, which isn’t a surprise as the staff seemed to abandon the run in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Connor Heyward added two carries for three years and this group was ineffective all game long. There are questions that need to be answered.

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