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Mississippi State’s Running Back Problem

By Josh Barnhill

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Where are Dontavian Lee, Nick Gibson and Alec Murphy?

MSU currently has six running backs who are not redshirting. But only three are playing.

Dontavian Lee gained 137 yards on a 6.2 YPC average as a redshirt freshman in 2015, but he hasn’t seen the field yet in 2016. Nick Gibson and Alec Murphy are redshirt freshman this year but have yet to touch the field of play.

Oct 10, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Dontavian Lee (33) runs the ball during the game against the Troy Trojans at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State won 17 - 45. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Dontavian Lee (33) runs the ball during the game against the Troy Trojans at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State won 17 – 45. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

The only thing I can figure is they aren’t ready. Dan Mullen has said on numerous occasions that if you aren’t ready to play (you know your assignments, blocking, playbook, etc) then you don’t play. So, do these three not know what they’re supposed to do?

If these running backs are not prepared enough to get on the field, that falls on Greg Knox. They should be ready to play – they’ve all been on campus at least a year and in Lee and Williams case this is their third year.

If it’s not Knox’s fault then it’s the player – and if you can’t get it by your third year you shouldn’t be on scholarship anymore.

I’ve got serious doubts about Knox right now. Shumpert, Williams and Gibson are all four-star tailbacks out of high school. Everyone but Holloway is over 210 pounds, yet 165 pound Holloway is getting the lion’s share of the carries. It may be Dan Mullen’s final decision on who starts, but he’s not an idiot despite my complaints – there’s got to be a legitimate reason why Holloway has emerged over the other five.

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