The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1444545
FUEL TO THE FIRE Devastated. Stunned silent. Bitterly disappointed. Michigan had just lost to Georgia 34-11 in the Orange Bowl on New Year's Eve night. The Bulldogs would move on and eventually beat Alabama for the national title. The Wolverines were headed home, back to the snow, to try to process how such a successful season ended so poorly. But before running back Blake Corum went anywhere, he watched. He wanted to take in the Bulldogs' celebra- tion — the jumping up and down, the tears of joy, the confetti falling. All of it. He didn't do it for any reason other than to get a snapshot of what it's going to look like if and when the Wolverines are the ones on the stage with the trophy. When Corum, along with quarterback J.J. McCar- thy, wideout Andrel Anthony, running back Donovan Edwards and defensive end Mike Morris, had seen enough, he headed for the tunnel, where he was caught on camera promising fans that "we will be back." Next time, he hopes, he'll have the confetti falling on him. Now an upperclassman, Corum is set to be a leader on next year's team. The Wolverines are losing three captains, including defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, and will need others like Corum to rise up and become a prominent voice on the team. Immediately following the game, Hutchinson spoke with several future lead- ers to leave a lasting message. "We've got a lot of guys on this team coming back who really listened to us leaders this year," Hutchinson said. "They learned from us. They were with us through thick and thin. I know Michigan football will be in good hands next year with those guys. They're going to step up. "I already started talking to a couple of them that I know are going to be leaders next year. They've learned this whole season what leadership is and how it's sup- posed to be." PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL