The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2022 THE WOLVERINE 33 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Five Best Players 1. Junior running back Blake Corum Corum has continued his fantastic season down the stretch for the Wolverines, combining for 448 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on 81 carries over the last three games — wins against Michigan State, Rutgers and Nebraska. That stretch was highlighted by a 33-carry, 177-yard, 2-touchdown (1 rushing, 1 receiving) performance in a 29-7 win over Michi- gan State Oct. 29. In that game, Corum had 118 of his 177 rushing yards come after contact, forced 15 missed tackles — the most in college football that week — and picked up 14 first downs. The workhorse touched the ball on 85 of the Wolverines' 237 offensive snaps (35.9 percent) and scored 5 of the team's 10 offensive touchdowns during that three- game stretch. 2. Sophomore safety Rod Moore A "tackling machine," per head coach Jim Harbaugh, Moore made 9 stops (6 solo) during this three-game span. He also baited MSU quarterback Payton Thorne into throwing the ball over the middle, with Moore picking off the pass and returning it 34 yards midway through the fourth quarter to help seal the victory. Moore has been fantastic in coverage, as well, allowing just 2 receptions for 12 yards on 7 targets during the stretch, per Pro Football Focus. 3. Graduate linebacker Michael Barrett He was the star of Michigan's 52-17 win over Rutgers Nov. 5, notching 2 interceptions, including a pick-six, on consecu- tive defensive snaps early in the third quarter. His first was returned to the 10-yard line, setting up an offensive touch- down. The Wolverines were down 17-14 at the break and led 21-17 before the sequence but suddenly held a 35-17 edge en route to a blowout win. Barrett totaled 10 tackles (5 solo) in those three contests. 4. Senior edge Mike Morris The team's leader in tackles for loss (11) and sacks (8.5) made 3 stops behind the line of scrimmage, including 2.5 sacks, in the three outings against the Spartans, Scarlet Knights and Cornhuskers. He also added 9 of his 36 pres- sures for the season during that span, laying 2 hits on op- posing quarterbacks. 5. Sophomore running back Donovan Edwards Outside of suffering what's believed to be a minor upper- body injury and being held out for most of the 34-3 win over Nebraska Nov. 12, Edwards has seen his role expand of late, highlighted by playing a career-high 32 offensive snaps versus Rutgers. That game was one of his best in a Michigan uniform and a perfect example of his versatility. Not only did he rush 15 times for 109 yards, but he also lined up at re- ceiver twice, including for a contested, 14-yard touchdown pass from sophomore signal-caller J.J. McCarthy that gave the Wolverines the lead. Edwards put up good numbers the prior week against MSU, too, with 42 rushing yards on 10 carries and 38 receiving yards on 3 grabs. Key Moment Michigan trailed 17-14 at halftime at Rutgers, but a domi- nant third quarter completely turned the game around. The Wolverines forced a Rutgers three-and-out, went 57 yards for a score and then got two straight interceptions — one to set up a Corum touchdown and a pick-six, both from Barrett — to mark 21 points in 1:42 of game time and take a 35-17 lead. Just like that, Michigan erased Rutgers' great first-half showing and ran away with the victory. Best Highlight Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt floated a downfield pass outside the numbers along the Michigan sideline, and freshman cornerback Will Johnson made him pay. Making his first career start, Johnson high-pointed the ball, plucked it out of midair and returned it 29 yards. His interception return featured two jump cuts and a spin move to avoid defenders. He got down to the Rutgers 31-yard line after his first career interception, and Michigan capitalized with a touchdown on the ensuing offensive possession to go up 42-17 late in the third quarter. Bold Prediction Michigan will make the College Football Playoff for a sec- ond straight season. The easiest way to capture another berth is to beat Ohio State and win the Big Ten Champion- ship Game — do that, and the Wolverines are in, guaran- teed. But there's also a possibility they can sneak in as a one-loss team. That will take some help from around the country, but there's a solid chance the dominoes will fall their way. One way or the other, we'll take Michigan to play in one of the national semifinal games, either the Peach Bowl or Fiesta Bowl. — Clayton Sayfie Superlatives For Michigan's Three Games From Oct. 29 To Nov. 12 Junior running back Blake Corum racked up 448 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on 81 carries over U-M's three games from Oct. 29 to Nov. 12. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL