Is Brandon Holloway the Answer to Mississippi State’s Running Problems?
Sep 26, 2015; Auburn, AL, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Brandon Holloway (1) avoids the tackle of Auburn Tigers linebacker Justin Garrett (26) during the first quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Mississippi State has a running problem. No one is denying this. Ashton Shumpert was given the starting job to replace Josh Robinson, and thus far it isn’t working.
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There are a lot of reasons the running game of Mississippi State isn’t working. The offensive line isn’t doing an adequate job of run blocking, and Ashton Shumpert is not attacking the line of scrimmage the way he needs to.
It is time to make a change at the running back position. Whether or not Dan Mullen agrees remains to be seen, but the Bulldogs can’t continue to be as unproductive as they currently are. Shumpert has not gotten the job done, and it is time to give another back an opportunity to see if they can succeed where Shumpert has not.
I wrote on Sunday the Bulldogs and their fans need to embrace, for at least this year, Mississippi State will be a primarily passing team on offense. It may not continue into the years to come, but this is the team we have in 2015. A number of people bristled at this notion. This didn’t surprise me.
What did surprise me is the way people never even mentioned Brandon Holloway. If you look at the comments on our Facebook page when I posted this, you’ll see what I am talking about.
I don’t know why people are excluding Brandon Holloway from the discussion. I will be the first to admit I have not been convinced Holloway could be a consistent runner in the Dan Mullen offense. He is small and is tackled easily. This is usually the opposite of what is required in the Dan Mullen philosophy.
But he has been productive when given the opportunity. In 2015, Holloway has carried the ball 18 times and run for 134 yards. That’s good for a 7.4 yards per carry average, and gives him the most rushing yards of any back on the team.
I’m not yet a believer that Holloway can carry the ball 25-30 times a game and not get killed. But the passing game, in particular Dak Prescott, has changed and developed so much, the Bulldogs do not have to have a ball carrier tote the ball that often in one game. Holloway could handle 10-15 carries per game, and at 7 yards a carry, would get 70 to 100 yards a game.
He may not ultimately be the answer. But to this point in the season, Brandon Holloway has done enough to earn the opportunity to at least have a shot to prove himself as the primary back in the Mississippi State offense.