His absence leaves a significant void in the Spartans’ offense that averaged just 1.2 yards per rush against Nebraska and 1.6 against Notre Dame. Graduate running back Jaziun Patterson came in for Edwards after the injury on Saturday. He finished with 16 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown. Patterson transferred to MSU this offseason after spending four seasons at Iowa. The workload was a significant increase for Patterson, who did not receive a single carry against Notre Dame and entered the game with just 10.

Still, Fitzgerald said Patterson’s performance Saturday was unsurprising, and he’s ready to step into a long-term role based on the approach he’s shown to this point.

“Do I think he can handle it? Yeah, absolutely,” Fitzgerald said. “I've highlighted his effort since the day he got here in the program.”

Fitzgerald said Patterson made it clear the day he arrived at MSU that he was going to make an impact, whether he entered the season as the starter or not. Now, with Edwards sidelined, the four-year Big Ten back has the opportunity to turn that confidence into production. It may be up to him to keep the running back room afloat.

“When I said, ‘Hey, listen, we feel like we may have a guy who’s going to be the starter. We wouldn’t want you to come in here and be 1-B,’” Fitzgerald said. “He goes, ‘I don’t care who you bring. I’m going to play, make a difference.’ And I was like, ‘OK, we want this guy.’”

Although it appears the veteran running back will take a majority of the carries, MSU needs contributions from other backs. Sophomore Marvis Parrish looked to be Edwards’ backup through the first three weeks. Returning sophomore Brandon Tullis could also see more touches, considering his impact in 2025 with the Spartans.

But replacing Edwards is only half of the problem. MSU’s run game has even bigger questions surrounding its efficiency during the past two weeks. 

The Spartans rank 114th in rushing yards per game and 111th in yards per carry, and averaged just 1.2 yards per rush against the Cornhuskers and 1.6 against the Irish. MSU averages a measly 3.2 yards per rush. 

MSU needs to find a way to generate more steady production with the football. That requires improvements from the play-callers, running backs and blockers up front. The pieces are there, but the Spartans have yet to consistently put them together for four quarters.

“I think the o-line is starting to come together,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve just got to finish blocks. There are times when we’ve got four out of five, five out of six, six out of seven guys operating as one.”

That consistency will become even more important during the week-to-week grind of the Big Ten schedule. The conference slate is daunting and physically taxing, making depth increasingly valuable over time. Fitzgerald emphasized the importance of every player on the roster, and with Edwards down, the next-man-up mentality will be tested in the running back room.

Nonetheless, Fitzgerald isn’t going to abandon his approach as the Spartans enter the heart of Big Ten play.

“We’ve got to keep pounding the rock,” Fitzgerald said. “You just gotta keep pounding the rock. That’s what I told the guys after the game. Eventually, it’s going to break, but they’ve got to stick together and keep working at that, which we will.”