The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 11 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Corum Is Still A Clear No. 1 By Chris Balas Make no mistake — both senior Blake Corum and junior Donovan Edwards are going to get plenty of touches for the Michigan offense this year. Both are explosive athletes capable of taking it the distance on every play, which both proved last year. Each of them has proven himself talented enough to be worthy of being a true No. 1 back at just about any school in the country. But there's only one ball, and both can't carry it at the same time. While Edwards was outstanding in two of the final three games of the year in help- ing lead U-M to wins over Ohio State and Purdue, Corum is the better runner at this point. As Edwards noted, his teammate has the wiggle he's hoping to emulate this year to make people miss, and Corum was a Heisman Trophy candidate for a reason. But there's no reason the two can't be on the field at the same time. Ed- wards also said teams would have a hard time trying to key on just one of them, if that were the case, and as running backs coach Mike Hart noted, Edwards could probably start at slot receiver for most teams in the country. Our practice intel indicates he's being used effectively as a receiver in differ- ent ways, and that will only benefit the team. Expect both backs to get a lot of carries in the nonconference slate. When it's crunch time, though, Corum is going to carry the load. We hope Edwards is out there with him often enough when he does. Corum And Edwards: 1A And 1B By Clayton Sayfie It's not a hot take to say that senior running back Blake Corum will have more carries than junior Donovan Edwards this fall, but the split will be closer than some think, we predict. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said at Big Ten Media Days that the Wol- verines will look to "get [the football] to Donovan pretty much the same amount as Blake." It's important that both backs stay healthy this year, and they can help ensure the chances of that are high by rotating both in nearly equally. Corum can be a workhorse, but there's no reason he should carry the ball 29 times per game in Big Ten contests (when fully healthy), like he did last season. Carry count is one thing, but touches are another, and they'll be just about even. The two backs com- plement each other, with Corum more of an every- down runner and short-yardage standout, while Edwards is a home-run hitter with elite speed, which can provide a nice changeup. But where Edwards will make up for having slightly fewer carries than Corum will be in the receiving game. He's a true "dual-threat" running back, he's said, trying to "master" his pass catching this season — and he can do it from both in the backfield and as a slot or wide receiver. Corum and Edwards are two of Michigan's top few offensive players, and both will be featured prominently. After all, Harbaugh said, "that makes us more dangerous." ❱ POINT ❙ COUNTERPOINT ❰ HOW WILL THE CARRIES BE SPLIT BETWEEN BLAKE CORUM AND DONOVAN EDWARDS? EDWARDS CORUM Lloyd Carr's Michigan Football Journey is a book about how an "interim" coach stepped up for Michigan and won his way into the College Football Hall of Fame. Along the way, he won 122 games, 5 Big Ten Championships, and 1 national championship. Not bad for a man who didn't know if he would even finish his first season in 1995! This book is a must read for all Michigan Wolverine football fans! This timely book is the perfect way to begin what could be one of the most exciting Wolverine football seasons since 1997. Jim Harbaugh and Team #144 are focused on climbing all the way to the top of the college football mountain in 2023 - just like Coach Carr's team did in 1997. Barry Gallagher is the best-selling author of seven books including four about Michigan Wolverines football You can purchase this book on Amazon or at the M Den. Coach Lloyd Carr Gets A Book Finally, a book about one of the best coaches in Michigan Football History is here!