The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 63 RUNNING BACKS PRESEASON ANALYSIS: RUNNING BACKS STARTERS ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Confidence is brimming, and it should be among the Wolverines' tailbacks. Instead of nobody with extensive game experience on hand, Michigan has four tailbacks who qualify, along with one fullback. Sophomore Zach Charbonnet and redshirt sophomore Hassan Haskins provided the one-two punch last season, and they might show up in the same backfield at times this year. Fifth-year senior Chris Evans is back in the mix, adding to U-M's depth and versatility. Together, they should be able to literally hit the ground running. DEPTH ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This represents a true strength, given the above trio, redshirt sophomore tail- back Christian Turner and true frosh Blake Corum providing the mobile versatility at times to senior Ben Mason at fullback. The Big Ten takes its toll on backs, but this crew should be able to hold up well, given its sheer numbers and experience. X-FACTOR Evans gets the call here, given his ability to catch the football and his undeniable hunger after sit- ting out the 2019 campaign. How offensive coordinator Josh Gattis uses him could make a significant impact on Michigan's offense. OVERALL ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This group will depend greatly on an offensive line that's replacing four starters from a year ago. But everyone who has watched the men up front expresses great confidence in their talent, smarts, and ability to work together and develop. The backs might not come out of the gate flying, while the line gets grounded. By the time the Big Ten season rolls around, though, this group ought to be hitting its stride, potentially producing the best ground effort since Jim Harbaugh has run the program. FYI Sophomore tailback Zach Charbonnet drew the starting assignment in last year's opener against Middle Tennessee State University. In so doing, he became the first true freshman Michigan tailback to start in an opener since Sam McGuffie in 2008. The only other two that have done so since 1944 are Gene Derricotte in 1944 and Wally Teninga in 1945. Michigan averaged 150.7 yards per game on the ground last season. That marked its lowest aver- age since 2013 (125.7), a figure that should go up given the considerable experience gained in the backfield last year. Charbonnet's team-leading 726 rushing yards marked the lowest total for the tailback at the top of Michigan's list since 2014. That season, De'Veon Smith paced the Wolverines' rushing attack with 519 yards. U-M's rushing attack in 2019 slotted it No. 77 in the nation, in terms of average rushing yards per contest. Ohio State (266.8) represented the top Big Ten squad, ranking No. 5 nationally. The Wolverines boasted just 15 rushes that gained 20 yards or more (tied for 80th nationally), five that went for at least 30 (tied for 98th) and none that went for 50 or longer (tied for 117th). "Towards the end of the season, he was in the game all the time. They believed in him, and he believed in himself." Haskins enjoyed his breakout game at Illinois, rushing for 125 yards and his first touchdown in a winged helmet on only a dozen carries. In his first start as a Wolver- ine, he rushed 20 times for 149 in an over- whelming win over Notre Dame, breaking off one 49-yard run. "Hassan Haskins put physicality to that running back room," Morris said. "He looks to run people over, which is nice. It's old- school football. "He was a young man I thought ran a little high, but he would get lower and meet you. I loved the way he played. He learned, too, if I don't block, I don't play. "So when he learned how to block in that second, third game, when he got to Madison he was meeting linebackers that were two times his size, but he's willing to stick his head in there. The next week, the coaches were willing to let this young man play. They were willing to ride this horse and see how far he could take them." Morris expects Michigan's top rushing duo from 2019 to push each other to greater heights in 2020. "They're both going to be pretty confi- dent," Morris said. "Haskins will be hun- grier, just because Charbonnet's young. Charbonnet is going to have that sophomore attitude — I've been there. He thinks he knows everything now. "He's experienced it. That's where he's got to convince himself. He's got to stay humble. You didn't learn everything, and now they have film on you." Morris recalled his own experience, work- ing with longtime Michigan running backs coach Tirrel Burton. He pointed out that Burton always made certain to keep his backs infused with a mental edge through various challenges. The former U-M tailback recalled, "He told me: 'Yeah, pretty good freshman year, Jamie. But now they have film on you. They know your tendencies, they know what you like to do, they know all the things about you. Now we're going to see what kind of back you really are. Are you just a good back, or are you a great back?'" The follow up to the first seasons on the field by Charbonnet and Haskins could re- veal the same, Morris indicated. For Haskins, a new year likely brings new responsibilities that could expand his role. Harbaugh spoke about Haskins working in some two-back sets with Michigan's other rushers. "I want to continue to have him expand what he can do without the ball in his hands, become even more proficient," Harbaugh YEAR-BY-YEAR RUSHING LEADER Year Player Carries Yards TD 2019 Zach Charbonnet 149 726 11 2018 Karan Higdon 224 1,178 10 2017 Karan Higdon 164 994 11 2016 De'Veon Smith 181 846 10 2015 De'Veon Smith 180 753 6 2014 De'Veon Smith 108 519 6 2013 Fitzgerald Toussaint 185 648 13 2012 Denard Robinson 177 1,266 7 2011 Denard Robinson 221 1,176 16 2010 Denard Robinson 256 1,702 14 In his first start as a Wolverine, Hassan Haskins ran for 149 yards on 20 carries to help spark a 45‑14 rout of Notre Dame last year. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN