Why Michigan State football didn't use Elijah Collins much in run game

EAST LANSING — Of all the problems Michigan State football had entering the season, running back appeared to be the least of new coach Mel Tucker’s worries.

The Spartans brought back sophomore Elijah Collins, the Big Ten’s top returning rusher who fell just short of 1,000 yards in 2019. He seemed poised to add to his breakout debut behind a line that was supposed to finally be getting healthy.

But junior Connor Heyward started Saturday, true freshman Jordon Simmons got the bulk of the carries, and Collins spent much of the day on the sidelines during MSU’s 38-27 season-opening loss to Rutgers.

“They all competed very hard during our camp and gave great effort,” Tucker said. “The guys that earned the right to play, they played in the game. So, you saw all those guys that were out there, they deserved to play because of the work they put in.”

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Collins finished with just 3 yards on nine carries. Heyward — who left the team after four games last season, entered the transfer portal but later decided to stay — started for the first time since the Tulsa game to open last season. He had seven carries for 18 yards and five catches for 25 yards.

MSU’s leading rusher was Simmons, who had 43 yards on 14 carries, and sophomore Brandon Wright lost 2 yards on his one carry as the fourth running back used.

The Spartans managed just 60 yards rushing as a group.

“I've said all along we want to play multiple backs,” Tucker said. “Our depth chart and our rep chart is fluid based upon production in practice. We grade every practice and every scrimmage — the ability to run the ball, pass protection, the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. And there is nothing set in stone.

“All of those guys we played have talent, and we're going to play multiple guys. … We've got competition at that position, and I think that's a good thing. You're going to earn what you get. You're going to earn the carries, you're going to earn the touches on the practice field — and that's at every position.”

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Despite the struggles, new offensive coordinator Jay Johnson opted to turn to the run game four times late in the third quarter with MSU trailing by eight points and the ball at the Scarlet Knights’ 29. A 5-yard keeper by quarterback Rocky Lombardi was followed by runs of 2, 1 and 1 yards by Simmons and a turnover on downs. It was as close as the Spartans would get.

“We were just looking to be aggressive,” Tucker said. “We thought that was something that we could convert. We missed a fourth down earlier in the game, but we came back on another fourth out and scored a touchdown. We were still down a couple scores, so going for it on fourth down when you have 1-2-3 yards to go is not unusual in this day and age of football, especially when you are trying to be aggressive and try to score points and when you are down in the game. We wanted to be aggressive and it didn't work out for us."

Change-D

Tucker and new defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton appear to have brought a new scheme with them — a 4-2-5 front that features five defensive backs. Mark Dantonio’s regime typically ran a 4-3 base defense, occasionally blending elements of the 3-4.

But the Spartans are thin at linebacker and deep in the secondary, which made the shift sensible.

“I think we've embraced it well,” said senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons, who had 11 tackles. “We're playing hard, we're running everything they're sending in to us. There's no issues, we don't disagree or none of that. Whatever they call or send in, whatever they install, we're gonna run it. We're gonna have the right attitude.”

It looks like a work in progress in some aspects, as Rutgers found creases in the run game and hit a few plays in the passing game in soft spots of the secondary.

However, the Spartans allowed just four plays of 20 yards or longer, forced three turnovers and held the Scarlet Knights to 276 total yards, 170 passing from QB Noah Vedral and 106 rushing.

“I think the biggest difference between the defense this year and last year is kind of how we keep our leverage, how we leverage the football,” junior safety Xavier Henderson said. “We try to not let it get outside of us. I think the defense last year was made to bounce things outside and not let anything inside. And we did a great job of that last year, not letting the ball run inside on us. This year, we kind of want to lever it up, not really let it run side by side and come make plays on the ball inside out.

“Today, we did not the best job of that, and that's something we got to work on.”

Fresh looks

MSU chose to dress out only 75 players, which is the limit for travel squads in the conference. The remaining Spartans sat in the stands behind the MSU bench, arriving before the team took the field for warmups. Players were allowed just two guests for the game, and there was a smattering of cardboard cutouts near the field. No attendance was announced.

Simmons was one of 11 true freshmen in uniform and one of six who played. WR Ricky White caught one pass for 5 yards, and WR Montorie Foster, CB Angelo Grose, LB Cal Haladay and DE Jeff Petrowski played on special teams. The others who dressed out were WR Ian Stewart, WR Terry Lockett, S Darius Snow, DE Avery Dunn and DT Simeon Barrow.

Injury update

MSU suffered only one seemingly significant injury when starting WR Tre Mosley went down with a right leg injury midway through the third quarter. He did not return, which pushed White into playing time.

DE Jack Camper hurt his lower right leg late in the first half but returned after halftime.

MSU’s dress list also did not include three offensive linemen who were in the final two-deep last year — senior Luke Campbell, redshirt freshman Devontae Dobbs and junior Mustapha Khaleefah. It is unclear whether any of them have opted out of the season. Veteran Jordan Reid, a two-year starter at right tackle, also has opted out this season along with true freshman OL Justin Stevens.

Tucker did not provide an injury or dress list update after the game.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Read more on the Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Spartans newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why Michigan State football didn't use Elijah Collins much in run game