The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2021 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 65 ing to be a fun one. I'm glad to be with my team and just work. "Everybody on the offense is good. We've got a lot of good players. It doesn't matter who is out there. They're going to get the job done, regardless. There's a lot of good guys coming, good guys coming back. It's going to be fun to watch." Whereas he says he doesn't look back much, Haskins does leave the door to the past cracked open, ever so slightly. "I've kind of put it in the past. Let's just forget about it. But I also make it my fuel," he admitted. "Learn from the experience of losing that many games, but also put it in the past." One of those losses continues to sup- ply rocket fuel. It will carry the Wolverines throughout the summer and into the fall with vengeance on their minds. Hart never lost to Michigan State while wearing a winged helmet. He won't be look- ing to start now, and given the bitter memories of last year's MSU game at Michigan Stadium, his players won't lack attentiveness and ire prior to heading for East Lansing. "I was sick to my stomach over losing to Michigan State," Haskins ruminated. "It felt unreal. It's something that definitely stuck in the back of my mind. That was a gruesome loss. "This year, coming back, it's going to be a fun game. I'll tell you that right now. It's go- ing to be an exciting game." Haskins senses himself becoming a leader — speaking out more, teaching the freshmen what to do within the offense, stressing the effort and toughness it takes. He harbors big dreams, without any ques- tion, and a sense of urgency belied by his eligibility status. He could enjoy two more seasons of Michigan football after this, but that's not on his mind or in his words. "I definitely want a good outcome for my season, for carrying the ball and things like that," Haskins said. "I also want to have a bunch of wins — bowl game, championship game. I want a big outcome my last year. I want to make it a bang — make a memory. "My mindset is to come back stronger. I feel like it's going to be a bright and successful year. New coaches, whole new leadership and a new vibe throughout the building. It's going to be a big year — an exciting year." The potential for 110,000 in Michigan Stadium for any given game only adds to the anticipation, Haskins indicated. "Man, I'm so excited," he said. "That will be definitely an exciting thing to come to — a full stadium, the whole year. We need everybody at the stadium. It's going to be a fun game, every game." That would mark a far cry from the fall of 2020, on several levels. It's exactly where Haskins has set his sights. ❏ Haskins Could Garner The Elusive 1,000 New Michigan running backs coach Mike Hart put up 1,000-yard seasons in three of his four years in Ann Arbor. The only time he didn't, injuries limited him to an eight-game season with 662 yards on the ground. Those four-digit years — 1,455 as a freshman, 1,562 as a junior and 1,361 as a senior — have become almost as rare as Big Ten championships for the program that has won more than anybody. Since the days of Hart, only two Michigan tailbacks have managed to post a 1,000-yard campaign. Karan Higdon managed that feat in his final season in Ann Arbor (2018), putting up 1,178 yards and 10 touch- downs on 224 carries (5.3-yard average). Prior to Higdon's effort, Michigan hadn't seen 1,000 yards out of a running back since the Brady Hoke years. Fitzgerald Toussaint rushed for 1,041 yards during Michigan's 2011 campaign, in which the Wolverines beat Ohio State and won the Sugar Bowl. Before Hart's 1,000 yards in three of four seasons, the Wolverines had featured a 1,000-yard rusher in 18 of 24 campaigns. Here's a look back at the Michigan runners who hit four digits in the ground game: Year Player Yards 2003 Chris Perry 1,674 2002 Chris Perry 1,110 2000 Anthony Thomas 1,733 1999 Anthony Thomas 1,297 1995 T. Biakabutuka 1,818 1994 Tyrone Wheatley 1,144 1993 Tyrone Wheatley 1,129 1992 Tyrone Wheatley 1,357 1991 Ricky Powers 1,364 1990 Jon Vaughn 1,416 1988 Tony Boles 1,408 1987 Jamie Morris 1,703 1986 Jamie Morris 1,086 1985 Jamie Morris 1,030 1983 Rick Rogers 1,002 1982 Lawrence Ricks 1,388 1981 Butch Woolfolk 1,459 1980 Butch Woolfolk 1,042 Carries in those 1,000-yard seasons ranged from Perry's whopping 338 in 2003 to Wheatley's 185 in 1992, when he aver- aged a Michigan-record 7.3 yards per carry. By contrast, Haskins carried the football a mere 61 times in the Wolverines' six-game half season in 2020, winding up with 375 net rushing yards. He ran the ball 121 times the year before, racking up 622 yards on the ground. Zach Charbonnet led the Wolverines in carries and rushing in 2019, going for 726 yards on 149 attempts. Michigan drew some scrutiny for its carry distribution last fall, and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis addressed that in the offseason, on Michigan's 'In The Trenches' podcast. "Rhythm is very, very important," Gattis said. "Game flow is very, very important. The No. 1 key thing for game flow is just not letting games get out of hand. Staying on track. Staying ahead of schedule. "That was our biggest challenge last year. It wasn't necessarily running the football. It was our ability to maintain the game we wanted to have. You can't fall behind the sticks and end up in third-and-longs, or fall behind on the scoreboard by 14 or 17 early in games. It changes the way the game goes. "When you've got a room full of backs, and you want to be committed to letting those guys have good game flow and touches, you've got to stay committed. The biggest thing in staying committed is keeping the game within reach. It allows you to call it the way you need to call it. "It's definitely important that we get those guys in a rhythm early on and find as many ways as we can for those guys to touch the ball." It's Gattis' priority to win games, not feature a 1,000-yard rusher. But if the Wolverines begin fixing some of what he talked about, they might end up with one. — John Borton Mike Hart ran for 1,000 yards in three of his four seasons at Michigan, but since then only two run- ning backs have cracked the 1,000-yard milestone for the Wolverines. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN