Free Press writer Rainer Sabin answers three questions after Michigan State football defeated Northwestern, 38-21, Friday in Evanston, Illinois:
Could Michigan State establish its running game?
All the way back in the spring, MSU coach Mel Tucker rued the low production generated by the Spartans’ ground attack last fall. The Spartans averaged 91.4 rushing yards per game — the lowest figure recorded in Michigan State’s logs, dating back to 1947. The struggles, which reached historic proportions, were reinforced by another shocking stat: MSU scored two rushing touchdowns all season and neither was by a running back.