Michigan State Football: 3 hot takes from blowout of Youngstown State

It’s refreshing to see Michigan State football get off to a hot start to a season, beating Youngstown State 42-14 on Saturday afternoon to improve to 2-0 on the year.

Through two games, Michigan State is averaging over 500 yards per game and 40 points which is something next to no one saw coming when the season began. A year ago, Michigan State had one of the worst offenses in the Big Ten, but it looks like Jay Johnson and Mel Tucker have put their fingerprints all over the roster, making it formidable and — dare I say it? — explosive.

Michigan State racked up 595 total yards against Youngstown State and it looked like a completely different unit from a season ago. Payton Thorne looks good, the run game is consistent, and that offensive line improved.

Let’s dive into some hot takes from Michigan State’s blowout win.

3. MSU has three starting-caliber running backs

Although Kenneth Walker III is a clear No. 1 back on this team despite finishing second on Saturday in touches behind Jordon Simmons who led the team with 16 carries, the Spartans have three guys who could legitimately start in the backfield.

The Spartans have Walker III who is now over 300 yards rushing on the season on just 30 carries and Simmons who just rushed for 121 yards on 16 carries, but Elijah Collins looked solid in his first real action of the season. He toted the rock just three times but he picked up 32 yards before exiting the game for good in favor of Simmons.

If Collins can prove to be a solid option in the run game, this offense is going to be really tough to stop. That gives the Spartans three starting-caliber backs who could probably start on a handful of teams in the Big Ten.