The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2021 THE WOLVERINE 25 Harbaugh heard rumblings about the dearth of passing yards after Michigan's win over Washington. Under the lights at The Big House, U-M gained 343 yards on the ground and only 44 via the skies. The head coach chose to bring up the topic on his own, two days after the win over Washington. In his weekly press conference at Schembechler Hall, he put it out there regarding the vertical game. "All those things are at our disposal," Harbaugh said. "I heard a little bit of noise, 'Why so much running? Are you going to throw more?' "As well all know, there are a lot of ways to travel. Some people choose to travel on the ground, some people by air. George Patton was able to get his job done on the ground. Neil Armstrong, through the air. "Last Saturday night, we chose to grind it out on the ground. We were also able to get our mission accomplished. There are a lot of ways to expand, and you want your opponent to know there are multiple ways. And they know." Redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara certainly seems to know. He's backed the notion of doing what works repeatedly, and seems genuinely content to guide an undefeated team that has yet to turn the football over. "Whatever the game plan sees fit will determine our run-to-pass ratio," Mc- Namara insisted after Washington. "I don't mind. I thought the calling today was fine. It was perfect. We got the job done. Running the ball a little bit more? I don't mind that. It makes my job a little bit easier." RUN GAME BONANZA The jobs of Corum and Haskins have been marked by incredible production and appointments with the end zone. They've been as advertised, and beyond. Corum earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors after the win over Washington. He established new career highs in rushing yards (171), all- purpose yards (231) and touchdowns (three) on 21 rushing attempts, averag- ing an eye-popping 8.14 yards per carry. Corum also secured three catches for 11 yards, demonstrating his versatility. He's been the revelation of the Michigan backfield thus far this season, with 48 carries for 407 yards and seven touch- downs. He is tied for first nationally in rushing scores, ranks third in rushing yards (overall and per game) and is 16th among qualified runners with 8.48 yards per carry. He's also one of only three players with eight overall touchdowns. "With Blake, it's big plays," Hart noted. "The big plays are huge. When you can pop those long runs off, it's a lot easier to score touchdowns." Corum scored on a 30-yard run in the season opener against Western Michi- gan, on his way to 111 yards rushing. A week later, his 67-yard TD bolt put the Wolverines on top, 10-0, in the 31-10 rumble past the Huskies. Corum followed that up with three more touchdowns against NIU — all on the ground, including a 51-yarder — and eclipsed 100 yards in his third straight game, reeling off 125 yards on just 13 totes (9.6 average). No running back in the country with at least 30 carries (and Corum has 48) boasts as high an overall offense (91.5) or rushing grade (90.6) from Pro Football Focus (PFF) through Sept. 19. Flat out, Hart identified Corum as "the quickest, most explosive" back he's been around. He's the lightning in the "Thunder and Lightning" combo with Haskins, with Haskins making plenty of noise himself. The redshirt sophomore racked up 281 yards and four touchdowns on 49 carries through the opening trio of games. In an offense that has put an empha- sis on physicality, Haskins helps set the tone. "Hassan breaks tackles, and he's done a great job in short-yardage situations," Hart said. Hart noted he deploys his backs by feel. He credits the Madden Football video games for some of this coaching savvy in that area. "I played Madden a lot growing up, and once a back has a certain amount of carries, they automatically sub them," he offered. "When you run the ball on a 12-play drive, Hassan's got to come out for a little bit. Redshirt freshman left guard Trevor Keegan was pleased with the way Michigan manhandled Washington in a 31-10 win. "We imposed our will on them," he said. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL