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Michigan State Football: 3 hot takes from overtime win over Nebraska

By Connor Muldowney

Sep 25, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mel Tucker talks to a referee during the fourth quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mel Tucker talks to a referee during the fourth quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 25, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs the ball against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs the ball against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Kenneth Walker III is still the nation’s top running back

Kenneth Walker III just had his worst game as a Spartan and it wasn’t entirely his fault. Actually, you can’t really call his 19-carry, 61-yard performance his fault because he had no running lanes to find all night long. Even if there were lanes, he didn’t have time to find them because he was getting hit behind the line of scrimmage as he was getting the handoff.

Even though he carried the ball 19 times for 61 yards and really only broke off one strong run all night long and that came in overtime, Walker III is still college football’s top running back.

Is that crazy to say? Maybe, but the Spartan running back has been great all season and there’s a reason he’s in the Heisman conversation and it’s not because his running lanes have been wide open; it’s because he’s broken the most tackles of anyone and still leads the nation in rushing yards and is 16th nationally in yards per carry at 7.3.

Walker III will probably never have another game like this for the rest of the season and the film is going to help correct a lot of mistakes.

Western Kentucky is going to get a heavy dose of the Wake Forest transfer.

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