Michigan State Football: 3 takeaways from blowout win over Youngstown State

2. The Spartans have three very capable running backs

As Jordon Simmons’ carries began to pile up, fans began to wonder if Kenneth Walker III was injured. He hadn’t touched the ball much after putting up 264 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries against Northwestern, but it was clear that Mel Tucker just wanted to preserve his starter heading into the Miami game.

But Walker still had a decent game, recording some incredible runs that had the crowd “ooing” and “ahhing”. He finished the day with 57 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries, maintaining his impressive average from the opener.

The Spartans did show that they’re deep at running back, even without Harold Joiner touching the ball. The aforementioned Simmons led the way with 121 yards on 16 carries.

We even saw some Elijah Collins as he touched the ball three times and picked up 32 yards. He was banged up last week and may have still been recovering this week which is why he hasn’t seen the field much. He looked solid on his three touches.

So Michigan State has three capable backs and the team averaged 7.2 yards per carry on Saturday afternoon.

Having a mobile quarterback like Payton Thorne only makes this offense more dangerous.