“If (Dantonio) says we’re going to run the ball the whole game then he means we’re going to run the ball the whole game,” Bell said.

On the Spartans first two scoring drives, the team ran the ball 11 times for 84 yards and only passed once. The majority of that damage was done by Bell, who unleashed his entire arsenal of moves on the Central Michigan defense.

He had blazing speed, juke moves, a stiff arm and in the one case those moves failed to work, he lowered his shoulder and delivered a hit to a Chippewa corner back that made the entire press box go “Oooooo.”

Bell said it was all about what running backs coach Brad Salem told him and the rest of the group.

“He always tells us to run angry,” he said. “I just try to use my body and my God-given ability and make people miss.”

Bell finished the day with three touchdowns and 81 yards on eight carries. And left the 72,119 fans thinking the Reynoldsburg, Ohio native might have an issue with the Mid-American Conference. In his last game against a MAC opponent, the first game of his career, Bell went for 114 yards and a score against Western Michigan.

Dantonio after the game praised the sophomore back not just for his rushing ability, but also for being a multi-talented offensive threat.

“He’s a guy that can catch it, he can block, he can run the football,” Dantonio said. “He’s a load.”

After a disappointing game at Notre Dame, in which the team gained only 29 yards on the ground, the Spartan backs spent most of the wee adjusting their attitudes. They needed to get in the right mindset and prepare to carry this team against the Chippewas, Bell said.

“We went out there and were just determined to run the ball,” he said. “We might get stopped for a 2-yard gain, it might be 2nd-and-8 but we’re going to run it again.”

In total, the offense went for 416 yards on the day, 184 of which were on the ground. It was the second highest total all season and the Spartans were without two starting lineman – junior center Blake Treadwell and redshirt freshman tackle Skyler Burkland.

Senior quarterback Kirk Cousins said Dantonio’s philosophy always has been to pound the ball and the team has insisted that idea will not change.

“We’re always going to be a team that wants to run the ball first,” Cousins said. “I certainly plan on having to do that next week at Ohio State.”

Bell agreed with his quarterback, adding that it is how people identify Spartan football.

“That’s what MSU does,” he said. “We run the football.”