The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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26 THE WOLVERINE JANUARY 2021 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Three Best Players 1. Redshirt sophomore running back Hassan Haskins: Placing him in the top spot on this list was a no-brainer. Haskins finally emerged as U-M's premier back against Rut- gers and Penn State, rushing for 111 yards and a touchdown versus the Scarlet Knights and 101 yards and two scores against the Nittany Lions. The redshirt sophomore gave life to a Wolverine rushing attack that had been nonexistent most of the year, racking up 40 com- bined carries and averaging 5.3 yards per rush between the two games. 2. Redshirt freshman quar- terback Cade McNamara: He immediately provided a spark to a Michigan offense that was life- less Nov. 21 at Rutgers, coming into the game late in the sec- ond quarter when the Wolver- ines were down 17-0. McNamara completed 27 of his 36 passes for 260 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, engineer- ing an offensive attack that outscored Rutgers 48-25 after his insertion. The redshirt fresh- man showed impressive touch and accuracy versus the Scarlet Knights, before struggling the following week against Penn State (12-of-25 passing for 91 yards) in a game where he in- jured his shoulder. 3. Sophomore wide receiver Cornelius Johnson: He had the best game of his collegiate tenure in the Nov. 21 win at Rutgers, hauling in career highs in both yards (105) and touchdowns (two) on five recep- tions. Johnson's first score in Piscataway came on a 46-yard grab late in the second quarter that finally got Michigan on the board, while his second TD reception occurred with only 5:07 remaining in regulation to put the Maize and Blue up 35-27. The sophomore had a two-catch, 15-yard outing in the Nov. 28 loss to Penn State. Key Play With Michigan and Rutgers all knotted up at 42 in the third overtime of the Nov. 21 shootout in Piscataway, the Maize and Blue decided to go for it on a fourth-and-goal play from the Scarlet Knight 1-yard line. McNamara lined up in the pistol with senior fullback Ben Mason to his right, and Haskins directly behind the redshirt freshman signal-caller. McNamara snapped the ball and immediately handed it to Haskins on the right side of the formation. There wasn't much of a hole to run through, so the redshirt sophomore leaped into the air and vaulted his body airborne into the end zone. A Rutgers defender was in position to stop him at the goal line, but whiffed on the tackle and the 6-1, 220-pounder easily found his way in for a touchdown. The score gave Michigan a 48-42 lead (the ensuing two-point conversion was unsuccessful), while U-M's defense intercepted Scarlet Knight redshirt junior quarterback Noah Vedral on the ensuing possession to ensure the win. Haskins' touchdown served as the game-winner, sealing one of two Michigan victo- ries on the year (the Oct. 24 opener at Minnesota was the other). Best Highlight Michigan trailed Rutgers 17-0 with 3:33 remaining in the sec- ond quarter of the Nov. 21 contest in Piscataway, hoping to find the end zone before halftime. McNa- mara took a shotgun snap from the Scarlet Knight 46-yard line and faked a handoff to sopho- more running back Zach Char- bonnet. The sophomore then did a beautiful job picking up blitzing freshman cornerback Max Melton, easily shoving him away from Mc- Namara and keeping the pocket clean for the redshirt freshman. This gave the signal-caller enough time to heave a deep ball down the middle of the field and right into the arms of a wide-open Johnson, who caught it at the 10- yard line. The nearest Rutgers de- fender was senior safety Brendon White, who trailed the play by six yards. Johnson walked into the end zone with ease and was quickly greeted in celebration by junior receiver Ronnie Bell. The touchdown was the first of the game for Michigan and ignited the 17-point comeback, which was tied for the second largest on the road in U-M football history. Bold Prediction Several key contributors will transfer out of the program this offseason, even if head coach Jim Harbaugh and the majority of his staff stays on board. Defections began as soon as the season ended (redshirt freshman center Zach Carpenter, fifth-year senior punter Will Hart, redshirt sopho- more running back Christian Turner, etc.), and they will continue over the coming months. The inevitable attrition shouldn't be taken as an ominous sign, but instead the byproduct of a disastrous 2-4 season. It was clear there was a significant disconnect on the team this year, and it was one of the many factors that led to the poor play U-M put forth on the field. Mass transfers can oc- cur at any school following a dismal campaign and aren't necessarily a bad thing, but instead the first steps toward fixing a broken culture. — Austin Fox Superlatives For Michigan's Two Games Nov. 21 And Nov. 28 Redshirt sophomore running back Hassan Haskins eclipsed 100 yards on the ground in each of the Wolverines' last two games of the season, Nov. 21 at Rutgers and Nov. 28 versus Penn State. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL