Grinz on Green Blog: Tailbacks Showcase Skills in Season Opener

Sept. 5, 2015

By Steve Grinczel, MSUSpartans.com Online Columnist | @GrinzOnGreen

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Running back roulette produced a tidy sum for Michigan State in its 37-24 season-opening victory against Western Michigan at Waldo Stadium.

True freshman LJ Scott, red-shirt freshman Madre London and red-shirt sophomore Gerald Holmes accounted for 190 of MSU's 196 rushing yards against the Broncos.

Together, they more than made up for the 117.1 yards Jeremy Langford averaged last season before graduating to the NFL.

Scott's much-anticipated debut took on added significance when he was trusted to carry the ball when a turnover could have been devastating.

After the Broncos cut MSU's lead to 34-24 early in the fourth quarter, Scott carried the ball six times for 43 yards on a nine-play drive that ended on Michael Geiger's 21-yard field goal. He also got the call the Spartans' last possession and ran out the final 1:36 with four carries for 16 yards.

"They probably were just testing me to see where I'm at as a freshman and see if I can handle things," Scott said of the coaches' decision to give him the ball down the stretch. "I can definitely handle it, and I'm looking to more stuff like that."

"Coming in as fresh meat, that's just how the game goes. I'm going to watch film and try to get better every day."

Scott, who led MSU with 77 yards on 13 carries, was surprised to be in the game at the end.

London won the starting assignment in his Spartan debut during preseason camp and responded by running with power on sweeps and churning out 59 yards on 13 carries and the first two touchdowns of his career and MSU's season.

"I just got to give credit to my O-line," London said. "I just executed, trusted my O-line and tried to hit the right holes. It was everything I expected."

London was fine with the running-back-by-committee approach Michigan State took in the first game.

"It went well," he said. "We all executed and just had fun behind our O-line. It felt good to get my first touchdown with more to come."

Holmes had 54 yards and his first career touchdown on nine carries to edge out Scott with 6.0 yards per carry to 5.9. He said there's no secret to what it's going to take to get more playing time.

"You've got to just grind and be a complete back," Holmes said. "We got to catch passes, block for the quarterback and run the ball. That's our job and we talk about it a lot that whoever's in the game has to get the job done."

Holmes, who was the second back to get in the game after London, reserved judgment on whether a three-man rotation could provide a long-term solution for the Spartans.

"I can't say much about it right now because it's still in the experimental stage with the backfield," Holmes said. "I just have to make sure that whenever I'm on the field I have to do my best to get the job done because that's why I'm out there."

Coach Mark Dantonio was pleased with the production by the rushing attack and will leave it up to Scott, London and Holmes to sort out the pecking order going into next Saturday's home opener against Oregon.

"Langford leaves, so we want to see growth in our running backs," Dantonio said. "That was good to see. That was a question mark coming in and I think we're good at that position.

"We're going to ride the hot back. It's not always going to be split up evenly. Whoever the hot back is, that's who we'll ride."

Fifth-year senior quarterback Connor Cook, who described his 15-for-31, 256-yard, two-touchdown passing performance as "fairly average," was impressed with all three tailbacks.

"LJ has a lot of talent, Madre ran his butt off and Gerald did as well," said Cook, who wasn't sacked. "I think that's encouraging. Obviously, our offensive line is doing great, keeping me protected and opening up holes for the running backs, and the running backs really did the dirty work."