Holmes had just three carries over the next two weeks and he watched as true freshman LJ Scott went from the third back on the depth chart to co-starters with redshirt freshman Madre London.

"I'm human, so I've had ups and downs," Holmes said. "At the end of the day, I just have to think positive. I'm a good athlete, I'm a good player, I've got faith in myself when the coaches decide to call on me."

With the Spartans offense sputtering and failing to pull away from Central Michigan in the fourth quarter of MSU's 30-10 win, head coach Mark Dantonio stood by his model of going with the hot back.

Holmes' volume of carries won't jump off the stat sheets, but it is when the team called on him that is.

"I go into the game ready for my name to be called," Holmes said. "I'm always on my toes and ready. If you go into a game kind of down and not ready, when you're name is called it'll effect you.

After watching his touches fade away for two weeks, Holmes carried the ball on two critical drives late that both ended in touchdowns for the sophomore.

Holmes finished the game with four carries for 22 yards, one catch for 17 yards and two rushing touchdowns.

"He's a good enough player to play for us," co-offensive coordinator Dave Warner said. "He played early in the year, and I'm always looking for opportunities to get him in ... we just felt that Gerald deserved an opportunity."

Warner wanted to get Holmes involved early, but like Dantonio said when discussing junior running back Delton Williams' playing time, there just aren't enough carries to go around.

"I wanted to get him in the first half; it didn't happen, but there wasn't necessarily a plan that we were going to get him in this situation," Warner said. "I just felt like we missed a couple cuts early on and in the first half, and I just wanted to give him an opportunity and he deserves it. He stood up and did a good job."