The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 65 RUNNING BACKS want to, or you don't. Christian, sometimes, when that linebacker is coming, he doesn't see it. There's nothing bad about that, but you've got to open your eyes. "He's got to learn how to count, wherever he's lined up, because there's somebody free. "The one thing you know about Christian is, he's going to give you 100-percent effort. He's that kind of a running back. He's got to be able to pick up the blitz, and if you give him a chance, he'll stay on the field." Of course, there's another short-yardage option. Mason spent a large amount of time on defense a year ago, running the football only once on the season. Mason could get back to becoming the short-yardage or goal-line back as a senior, or Michigan could find another role for him. That remains to be revealed, among the other lost knowledge due to the lack of spring practice. Corum, meanwhile, brings quickness and speed to the table, along with the confidence of any newly recruited freshman. "Blake is awesome," Harbaugh offered. "The main thing about him is, he just goes all out at everything he does." "He's not sweating anybody," Morris added. "That kid's still invincible in his mind. He was the best player coming out of his high school. They wanted me. They recruited the hell out of me. "He is the cherry on top for this cake. The coaches want to display him. I guarantee you, he will get his opportunity to play. He's just got to take advantage of all the opportu- nities. The coaches are going to want to see him, because they recruited him." They'll want to see plenty of the backs in the stable. Going in, they know there's more to see. "This running backs room reminds me of the years when [Tyrone] Wheatley, [Tshi- manga] Biakabutuka and Ricky Powers were running," Morris said. "You've got [former running backs coach] Freddy Jackson-type players, guys that can play, and they're wait- ing on their turn. "You've got to go with the hot back. Who's the hot back today?" Harbaugh and the Wolverines get to find out, week by week, while the competitors raise each other's games by battling for snaps. ❑ A 1,000-Yard Back Might Not Be In The Cards Karan Higdon's breakthrough for 1,178 rush- ing yards in the 2018 season returned U-M to the days of a four-figure back. They didn't double down last year, with then-freshman Zach Charbonnet and redshirt frosh Hassan Haskins splitting up the duties. They'll likely take steps forward this year, but adding fifth-year senior Chris Evans back into the mix figures to divide up the carries even more. Redshirt sophomore Christian Turner will be fighting for time as well, and Michigan's coaches will want to get a look at true freshman Blake Corum. All of that weighs against a featured back rack- ing up more than 1,000 yards. That wouldn't be unusual after the last decade. Before Higdon cranked it up in his senior sea- son, Michigan hadn't featured a 1,000-yard tail- back since Fitzgerald Toussaint rushed for 1,041 yards in 2011. Here's a look at U-M's last 10 1,000-yard backs: Karan Higdon, 2018 — 1,178 Fitzgerald Toussaint, 2011 — 1,041 Mike Hart, 2007 — 1,361 Mike Hart, 2006 — 1,562 Mike Hart, 2004 — 1,445 Chris Perry, 2003 — 1,674 Chris Perry, 2002 — 1,110 Anthony Thomas, 2000 — 1,733 Anthony Thomas, 1999 — 1,297 Tshimanga Biakabutuka, 1995 — 1,818 Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis' "speed in space" offense appeared tilted to the throwing game last season. Michigan rushed for 1,959 yards on the season, and threw for 3,261. The imbalance could be assigned to the situ- ation — a senior quarterback, experienced re- ceivers and very inexperienced running backs. The offenses that Gattis worked in previously didn't come up short on the ground and fea- tured some 1,000-yard rushers. Alabama rushed for 3,219 yards in 2018, the year Gattis worked under Nick Saban. The Crim- son Tide featured three runners with 640 or more rushing yards, led by Damien Harris' 876. Gattis coached wide receivers at Penn State, and the Nittany Lions in 2017 certainly weren't hurting through the air. They featured a passing- rushing mix of 3,772-2,212, with Saquon Barkley rushing for 1,271 of the latter figure. A year earlier, Penn State also proved pass happy, throwing for 3,650 yards while rushing for 2,406. Still, the Nittany Lions knew what they had in Barkley, who broke free for 1,496 rushing yards. The Wolverines might not feature a Barkley, but they will put forward a host of capable backs that could combine for a hefty rushing tally without the singular leader. Either way, they'll be looking to take the pressure off a new start- ing quarterback with a potent rushing attack. — John Borton "When it comes down to it, you need a few guys to be ready to play. Crazy things happen over the year. You need a deep room. One of the things we all love about [offensive coordinator Josh Gattis] is that he loves to play multiple backs." U-M RUNNING BACKS COACH JAY HARBAUGH Thanks to his blend of quickness, speed and confidence, Blake Corum is expected to vie for playing time right out of the gate. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND