Sep 12, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers running back Roman Hemby (1) returns a kickoff during the first half against the Indiana State Sycamores at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Three Indiana Rushers Set to Challenge MSU Defense

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Nathan Berry | Last updated Oct 17, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Michigan State Spartans have a lot to fix on the defensive side of the ball if they want to salvage their season, and they have no easy task ahead of them because of the Indiana Hoosiers' terrifying trio of rushers.

Between their top three running backs in Roman Hemby, Kaelon Black, and Khobie Martin, the Hoosiers have a combined 1018 yards on the ground and eight touchdowns, by far one of the best rushing rooms in the college football landscape.

Each of their top three rushers has a different way that they can stun the Spartans' defense, through consistency by Hemby, boom or bust factors from Black, and scoring potential in Martin, and each must be planned for accordingly.

Roman Hemby's Consistency

By a margin of 20 carries, Hemby has the most rushing attempts and the most yards out of the Hoosiers' running backs, averaging five yards per attempt across 421 yards.

His consistent ability to get five yards out of a play is scary for the Spartans and their less than desired run defense, and he might be what pulls the rug out from under MSU if they can't rally around Linebacker Jordan Hall to stop him.

Kaelon Black's Boom Or Bust Factor

In comparison to his teammates, Black has the biggest capability to run for a huge gain against opponents, having his longest rush set at 40 total yards, 10 yards above the next closest running back.

If Head Coach Jonathan Smith does not make his players aware of the differences between Hemby and Black, then the Spartans will get caught off guard, and he will explode for a possible score, and to keep their coach in town, that cannot happen.

Khobie Martin's Tendency To Score

Riding off of 200 fewer yards than Hemby and 100 fewer than Black, Martin comes into play with his ability to score when in the red zone.

He has four total touchdowns, the same as Hemby and Black combined, and when near the goal line, he is let loose to score with an insane 8.9 yards per carry.

Caution needs to be thrown into the wind, and the defense needs to get aggressive in the red zone if MSU wants to stop a barrage of touchdowns from Martin.

The MSU defense, along with the rest of their team , has a monumental task ahead of them against the Indiana Hoosiers, especially against their running backs.

But if they can rally together and get enough stops for the team to pull out a win, or even a close loss should the offense sputter out, then Smith might have more time to come in with his defense in East Lansing.

This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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