It was the best of Scott; It was the worst of Scott!

Before the season, the biggest strength of Michigan State’s team would likely have been considered its running back group,  featuring LJ Scott.  Three lost fumbles later, Scott has been relegated to carrying the football around campus in an effort to irrevocably bond the running back to a football.  Two of Scott’s wayward pigskins were lost in nightmarish fashion at the goal line.  When Notre Dame’s Shaun Crawford stripped Scott at the goal line in the second quarter, the strip proved to be one of September’s most pivotal plays.  Instead of MSU closing the gap to 21-14, the Fighting Irish used the game-changing play as momentum to a 28-7 lead that would prove insurmountable.

However, one Scott has come out of nowhere to excel for the Spartans, Josiah.  The freshman cornerback has been the most effective Big 10 DB in coverage according to the metrics of Pro Football Focus.  Mark Dantonio compared Scott’s freshman year to that of former Spartan great, Darqueze Dennard.

For Josiah, this Saturday’s game against Iowa holds extra intrigue.  Iowa was perhaps the front runner for Scott’s services until late in the recruiting process.  Did the Hawkeyes back off?  Expect Scott to play with a bit extra passion in East Lansing on Saturday.