Holmes wants to keep it cranked
Ricardo Cooney | SpartanMag.com
EAST LANSING - Michigan State hoped to established a go-to feature back weeks ago.
But, through an inconsistent September and a rocky start to October, junior Gerald Holmesseems to be heading not the middle portion of the season as the choice as the workhorse running back.
At least that was the indication last week when he recorded his first start of the season. He also received the biggest workload chunk of his career, carrying the ball 15 times (for 57 yards) compared to three carries (for 9 yards) for LJ Scott and one carry (for 4 yards) for Madre London.
While Scott still holds the edge with a team-leading 70 carries for 311 yards and two touchdowns on the season, while averaging 4.4 yards a carry, Holmes is once again proving himself as reliable option as a tough runner and in pass protection, an area in which Scott struggled earlier this year.
Holmes refuses to enter into a debate as to who should start going forward.
“I don’t even pay attention to it,’’ said Holmes when asked about the weekly depth chart. “I don’t even be knowing that, whether it says ‘OR, OR’ (on the depth chart). However the coaches do things, when they call next man up, you just have to be ready to deal with it.’’
Holmes enters this week’s Homecoming matchup with 38 carries for 208 yards, a 5.5 yards per carry average and four TDs.
He was the go-to option during Michigan State’s game-tying touchdown drive in the final minutes at Indiana two weeks ago. But the Spartans went to Scott in overtime, although Scott didn’t receive a carry in the extra frame.
“I just look at like I did last year. You just have to have a starter’s mentality,” he said. “When you come here and you’re recruited as a tailback, you’re coming here for a reason, because you’re a good athlete and you’re going to make plays. So I know to just trust my ability and work every week like I am a starter and basically just wait until my name is called.’’
Holmes is eager to do his part to help correct MSU’s course.
“We’ve got to lock in, just key in to our assignments,’’ Holmes said. “Guys who make plays have to make plays. It’s about having confidence for each other.
“A lot of guys who have been here for a while and kind of had that chip on their shoulder the whole time. I feel like now, we’ve kind of lost that chip, especially with the younger guys. I feel like we’ve been bumping our heads around and not really understanding the main things. We’ve got the talent, we’ve got the guys that can make the plays so make sure you just come and commit.’’
PRICE CALLS FOR MORE FOCUS
There’s no doubt that Michigan State’s problems have spread across many areas and categories through the first five games of the season.
The Spartans haven’t blocked consistently well, haven’t run the ball with consistency, have not executed in the passing game, have not been sharp on special teams, have been shaky in the defensive front seven due in part to injuries, and suspect in the secondary, and in the coaching booth when it comes to the success of play calls on offense and defensive scheming.
As a result, the Spartans have been outscored by a margin of 28.3 to 13.6 points a game during its recent skid.
Despite all of those misgivings, members of MSU’s upper class feel like there’s something more they can do to help the team escape this free fall and right the ship for the remainder of the season. Price wants to be part of the corrective process.
“We’ve just got to focus on ourselves because most games we’ve beaten ourselves with penalties, missed assignments, with missed blocks, dropped balls or the bad throw with a missed read or the running back not seeing a hole as far as offensively speaking,” Price said. “That’s what’s killed us as an offense. We moved the ball a lot against a lot of teams but we’ve just shot ourselves in the foot, went backwards on certain drives and just not executed.
“So yes, it always starts with focus, making plays, execute our gameplan and play to the best of our ability and I think everything else will take care of itself.
“I mean, you can point blame at each (other) and everywhere (else) but as a leader on this team, I can say I didn’t do a good enough job because obviously, we are 2-3. So it’s up to me and the other leaders on this team to make everyone understand, especially the young guys, that it’s hard and you have to put in hours and hours and so much work to know the guy that I’m lined up across from. But we’ve got guys that are learning and we’re getting better.”
Michigan State came into the season hoping to repeat as Big Ten champions. Whether it be an unforeseen downturn in talent, furthered by injuries, or shaky focus, or whatever, Price said the pressure of high expectations haven’t been a factor in MSU’s problems.
“I don’t think it was any added undo pressure (to repeat as conference champions),’’ Price said. “We play football at Michigan State and we’ve won two Big Ten Championships in the last three years, so there’s a lot of pressure on us every season at the start. Yes, it’s been frustrating and it’s been tough (losing these last three games) but that’s life and it’s not always going to go the way you want it to go. So we’ve got to find a way to make the best of this, rally the guys, just come out, and play against Northwestern and try and get a win.’’
Sixth-year senior linebacker Ed Davis said it’s not so much about the athletic ability as it is about the mental aspects of the game.
“I feel like the main thing is just focus, staying focused’’ Davis said. “Not getting down on ourselves if something bad happens. There’s ups and downs in a game and we’ve got to keep our heads focused, keep thinking positive and keep pushing forward. You can’t think about the last plays and what happened because that’s how big plays tend to happen and that’s what happened last game. So we’ve just got to stay focused and stay together.’’
For Price, that mantra started this week as MSU prepared for it’s 3:30 p.m. matchup with the Wildcats.
“As much as we’d like to, we can’t change the past or go back and change anything that’s happened,’’ Price said. “So we’re just going to focus on the future and focus on what’s ahead of us.’’
Ricardo Cooney | SpartanMag.com
EAST LANSING - Michigan State hoped to established a go-to feature back weeks ago.
But, through an inconsistent September and a rocky start to October, junior Gerald Holmesseems to be heading not the middle portion of the season as the choice as the workhorse running back.
At least that was the indication last week when he recorded his first start of the season. He also received the biggest workload chunk of his career, carrying the ball 15 times (for 57 yards) compared to three carries (for 9 yards) for LJ Scott and one carry (for 4 yards) for Madre London.
While Scott still holds the edge with a team-leading 70 carries for 311 yards and two touchdowns on the season, while averaging 4.4 yards a carry, Holmes is once again proving himself as reliable option as a tough runner and in pass protection, an area in which Scott struggled earlier this year.
Holmes refuses to enter into a debate as to who should start going forward.
“I don’t even pay attention to it,’’ said Holmes when asked about the weekly depth chart. “I don’t even be knowing that, whether it says ‘OR, OR’ (on the depth chart). However the coaches do things, when they call next man up, you just have to be ready to deal with it.’’
Holmes enters this week’s Homecoming matchup with 38 carries for 208 yards, a 5.5 yards per carry average and four TDs.
He was the go-to option during Michigan State’s game-tying touchdown drive in the final minutes at Indiana two weeks ago. But the Spartans went to Scott in overtime, although Scott didn’t receive a carry in the extra frame.
“I just look at like I did last year. You just have to have a starter’s mentality,” he said. “When you come here and you’re recruited as a tailback, you’re coming here for a reason, because you’re a good athlete and you’re going to make plays. So I know to just trust my ability and work every week like I am a starter and basically just wait until my name is called.’’
Holmes is eager to do his part to help correct MSU’s course.
“We’ve got to lock in, just key in to our assignments,’’ Holmes said. “Guys who make plays have to make plays. It’s about having confidence for each other.
“A lot of guys who have been here for a while and kind of had that chip on their shoulder the whole time. I feel like now, we’ve kind of lost that chip, especially with the younger guys. I feel like we’ve been bumping our heads around and not really understanding the main things. We’ve got the talent, we’ve got the guys that can make the plays so make sure you just come and commit.’’
PRICE CALLS FOR MORE FOCUS
There’s no doubt that Michigan State’s problems have spread across many areas and categories through the first five games of the season.
The Spartans haven’t blocked consistently well, haven’t run the ball with consistency, have not executed in the passing game, have not been sharp on special teams, have been shaky in the defensive front seven due in part to injuries, and suspect in the secondary, and in the coaching booth when it comes to the success of play calls on offense and defensive scheming.
As a result, the Spartans have been outscored by a margin of 28.3 to 13.6 points a game during its recent skid.
Despite all of those misgivings, members of MSU’s upper class feel like there’s something more they can do to help the team escape this free fall and right the ship for the remainder of the season. Price wants to be part of the corrective process.
“We’ve just got to focus on ourselves because most games we’ve beaten ourselves with penalties, missed assignments, with missed blocks, dropped balls or the bad throw with a missed read or the running back not seeing a hole as far as offensively speaking,” Price said. “That’s what’s killed us as an offense. We moved the ball a lot against a lot of teams but we’ve just shot ourselves in the foot, went backwards on certain drives and just not executed.
“So yes, it always starts with focus, making plays, execute our gameplan and play to the best of our ability and I think everything else will take care of itself.
“I mean, you can point blame at each (other) and everywhere (else) but as a leader on this team, I can say I didn’t do a good enough job because obviously, we are 2-3. So it’s up to me and the other leaders on this team to make everyone understand, especially the young guys, that it’s hard and you have to put in hours and hours and so much work to know the guy that I’m lined up across from. But we’ve got guys that are learning and we’re getting better.”
Michigan State came into the season hoping to repeat as Big Ten champions. Whether it be an unforeseen downturn in talent, furthered by injuries, or shaky focus, or whatever, Price said the pressure of high expectations haven’t been a factor in MSU’s problems.
“I don’t think it was any added undo pressure (to repeat as conference champions),’’ Price said. “We play football at Michigan State and we’ve won two Big Ten Championships in the last three years, so there’s a lot of pressure on us every season at the start. Yes, it’s been frustrating and it’s been tough (losing these last three games) but that’s life and it’s not always going to go the way you want it to go. So we’ve got to find a way to make the best of this, rally the guys, just come out, and play against Northwestern and try and get a win.’’
Sixth-year senior linebacker Ed Davis said it’s not so much about the athletic ability as it is about the mental aspects of the game.
“I feel like the main thing is just focus, staying focused’’ Davis said. “Not getting down on ourselves if something bad happens. There’s ups and downs in a game and we’ve got to keep our heads focused, keep thinking positive and keep pushing forward. You can’t think about the last plays and what happened because that’s how big plays tend to happen and that’s what happened last game. So we’ve just got to stay focused and stay together.’’
For Price, that mantra started this week as MSU prepared for it’s 3:30 p.m. matchup with the Wildcats.
“As much as we’d like to, we can’t change the past or go back and change anything that’s happened,’’ Price said. “So we’re just going to focus on the future and focus on what’s ahead of us.’’
