EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) What a two weeks it's been for Ashton Leggett.

The 235-pound sophomore running back was practicing with Michigan State's scout team. Then came word two of his roommates fellow running backs Caulton Ray and Andre Anderson had been taken off the team's active roster.

But by Saturday, Leggett, who had all of one carry and no yards for the season, found himself one of two featured backs in a game against Western Michigan.

All he did was run for a 71-yard touchdown on his first carry and amass 110 yards and four scores in a 49-14 thrashing of the Broncos.

''Even as it was going on, I couldn't believe it was happening,'' Leggett said.

On that first run on a third-and-1 less than 90 seconds into the game Leggett took one step toward a crowded line, bounced it outside and was gone down the left sideline.

He added short TD runs in the first and second quarters. Sandwiched in between, quarterback Kirk Cousins connected with Garrett Celek and Keshawn Martin on 13- and 48-yard scoring strikes.

At the end of the first half, Michigan State led 35-0, had forced seven Western punts and outgained the Broncos by more than 300 yards.

The Spartans (5-5) hadn't played a non-conference opponent in November since a 1966 game against Notre Dame. Saturday's win snapped a two-game losing skid and gave Michigan State some potential momentum heading into the season's final two games at Purdue next week and home against No. 11 Penn State on Nov. 21.

Western (4-6) didn't do itself any favors, getting called three times for roughing the passer in the first quarter and dropping more than a few passes.

''They're better than us,'' Western Michigan coach Bill Cubit said. ''They're more physical. ... We would have had to play a really fantastic game I thought.''

One bright spot for the Broncos was Brandon West, who set the Football Bowl Subdivision record for career kickoff return yardage, passing Southern Methodist's Jessie Henderson. The senior opened the second half with an 80-yard touchdown run through a gaping hole in the middle of the Michigan State defensive line.

Michigan State kicker Brett Swenson also was a record-setter, becoming the school's all-time leader in extra points made.

The Spartans have used a number of running backs this season, using a back-by-committee approach to fill the sizable void left by the departure of Javon Ringer, who moved on to the NFL.

Thanks to injuries and the dismissals, Leggett and freshman Edwin Baker started out as the featured running backs on Saturday, and Leggett took advantage, hitting the century mark by halftime.

Leggett added a 13-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to make it 42-14.

Asked whether he felt as though he'd earned some more playing time, Leggett didn't hesitate: ''No. No. No. No,'' he said, shaking his head. ''I need to keep working.''

Coach Mark Dantonio might feel differently on that subject.

''He's obviously in the thick of things,'' Dantonio said.

Leggett was the first Spartan to run for 100 yards in a game since Ringer did it last year.

Fellow sophomore QB Keith Nichol took some snaps, but Cousins got the bulk of the work against the Broncos, completing 22 of 25 passes for a career-high 353 yards with no interceptions. Nichol threw a 7-yard scoring pass to Dion Sims with about six minutes to play in the game.

''The ball was coming out of my hand pretty well,'' Cousins said.

For Western, it was a forgettable performance from a program accustomed to playing tough against the big boys. The Broncos had beaten a team from a Bowl Championship Series conference in each of the previous three seasons.

Senior Tim Hiller, Western's career leader in TD passes and completions, had an off day, going 15 of 37 for a season-low 111 yards. He wasn't intercepted, though, and threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Blake Hammond on the first play of the fourth quarter.

The Broncos weren't able to convert a single third down in 13 tries.

''I didn't play very well today. I take responsibility for that,'' Hiller said. ''We've just got to get in a rhythm and sustain drives and stay ahead of the sticks. We got in too many third and longs.''

Michigan State avoided losing at home to a second in-state Mid-American school this season. Central Michigan beat the Spartans 29-27 on Sept. 12.