East Lansing — Michigan State heads into Big Ten play next week unbeaten, the first time it's done that since 2010.
But that mark hasn't come easily, and Saturday's 30-10 victory over Central Michigan in front of 75,218 at Spartan Stadium was another struggle for the No. 2-ranked Spartans.
Sophomore running back Gerald Holmes scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to help Michigan State (4-0) pull away, but overall it was another uneven performance for a team that, aside from its signature win over Oregon, has three far-from-stellar victories over teams it was a double-digit favorite against.