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Mississippi State’s Running Back Problem

By Josh Barnhill

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Sep 3, 2016; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Fred Ross (8) and linebacker J.T. Gray (12) talk with head coach Dan Mullen during the second quarter of the game at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2016; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Fred Ross (8) and linebacker J.T. Gray (12) talk with head coach Dan Mullen during the second quarter of the game at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

No one can get into a rhythm.

A good tailback gets better as the game goes on. If you pound the defense with big tailbacks (which MSU has five that are all over 210 pounds) then by the 4th quarter the defensive line and linebackers are tired of tackling those guys. That’s when they start to shine and gain big chunks of yardage.

You may try to hit a hole in the 1st quarter that collapses after you’ve only gained two yards. In the 3rd quarter you’re able to break that tackle and gain five yards. In the 4th quarter you blow past the defensive end and gain 10 yards.

If Ashton Shumpert or Aeris Williams got 10 carries in a game it would be breaking news. Both of those guys have been second and third string behind Holloway since the beginning of 2015. In those 16 games, the only time one of them got at least 10 carries was Shumpert vs. LSU in ’15 when he got exactly 10.

How are we ever going to see if Shump or Williams can break out and become a really good tailback when they aren’t given any type of work load?

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