STARKVILLE — Brandon Holloway hopes the Mississippi State football team’s running backs get on track Saturday.
The junior leads the Bulldogs with 88 rushing yards through two games. He has only carried the ball 12 times, while junior Ashton Shumpert is tied for the team lead in carries at 18 with quarterback Dak Prescott.
The running backs haven’t had many opportunities, but they will have a chance to shine at 3 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network) when MSU (1-1) plays host to Northwestern State (0-2) at Davis Wade Stadium.
“I’m hoping our game’s going to be more widely spread out, but whatever helps us get the win, that’s the biggest part,” Holloway said.
Prescott led MSU with 72 rushing yards in a season-opening victory at Southern Mississippi, while Holloway led the running backs with 51 yards on seven carries. Shumpert had 38 yards on eight carries.
Against LSU, the Bulldogs only had 43 rushing yards. Holloway led the way with 37 yards, while Shumpert had 30 yards.
In both games, it was hard for the Bulldogs to get the running game going. Southern Miss had a lead for most of the first half and held the ball for nearly 38 minutes. Against LSU, MSU trailed for most of the game, including 14-3 at halftime and 21-6 entering the fourth quarter, so the passing game was a bigger part of the offense.
Even so, MSU coach Dan Mullen likes how his running backs have played, even though he admits they have had “a couple of critical mistakes.”
Last season, MSU was solid at running back with Josh Robinson. The current Indianapolis Colt rushed for 1,203 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior.
Mullen knew it was going to be an uphill battle to replace Robinson, but he had experience coming back with Holloway and Shumpert, who have different styles. Shumpert is a 6-foot-2 bruiser who checks in at 218 pounds. Holloway is a 5-8 160-pounder.
“I think just the combination of us together is what’s helping to fill the run,” Holloway said. “Josh was a great running back, and I think just bringing in a whole different type of running scheme, I think that’s what’s helping to fill that.”
Redshirt freshmen Dontavian Lee and Aeris Williams, a former West Point High School standout, had productive springs and had high expectations placed on their shoulders entering training camp, but they have played sparingly so far.
Lee has one carry for 6 yards, while Williams has two carries for -3 yards.
“The young guys are trying to break in,” Mullen said. “We know they’re talented. We just want to make sure they execute at a very high level.”
Mullen hopes the Bulldogs can run the ball at a high level against an opponent that has allowed 798 rushing yards in losses to Southeastern Louisiana and Louisiana-Lafayette.
Holloway said he isn’t surprised he is the team’s leading rusher, but he could care less who has the lead at the end of the season.
“I hope all of us rush for a lot of yards,” Holloway said. “I hope Shump gets a lot of yards, and I hope that if Dak has to run it he gets a lot of yards. I’m just hoping we just get a lot of good stats — anything positive that can help us win.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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