The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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32 THE WOLVERINE ❱ DECEMBER 2023 ing to him this time around. Instead, it's junior quarterback Kyle McCord, who has competed well enough to let Harrison pile up 1,063 receiving yards and 12 touch- downs through their first 10 games of the season. Harrison's not a one-man show, either, Jansen points out. "The wide receivers are still the most talented group in the country," Jansen said. "There's no question about that. "Defensively, I think they're playing better up front. They're playing better team defense. They don't have a bunch of guys going out there and trying to break the game open by themselves by getting to the quarterback and allow- ing them to escape or creating lanes for running backs. They're doing a better job there. "This team does not have Justin Fields or C.J. Stroud. I think Kyle McCord will develop into a good quarterback, but he'll never be a Fields or a Stroud. They've taken a step back at that posi- tion." Michigan ran over the Buckeyes the past two seasons. Last year, junior tail- back Donovan Edwards broke away on 75- and 85-yard touchdown runs to bol- ster an attack stymied at the half, but that wound up with 252 yards on the ground. In 2021, the Wolverines rushed for a dominant 297. This season, Michigan averaged 173.1 yards per game on the ground through 10 contests, which ranked 43rd in the nation. Jansen, however, isn't buying the narrative that says the Wolverines can't run the football or have an effective offense without asserting a more run- heavy presence. "I find this narrative comical," Jan- sen stiff-armed. "It's one we hear all the time. Jim Harbaugh and others have talked about it. "Last year, the criticism was, 'You can only run the ball. What happens when you have to throw it?' And now, they have a quarterback that is very efficient — top two efficiency in the country — and they have an offense that's very well-bal- anced. Now everybody wants to know, 'Why aren't you running the ball more?' "Look at the points they're putting up. Look at the opportunities they're creating for this offense with [senior wideout] Roman Wilson and [senior tailback] Blake Corum. They're using Donovan Edwards in some creative and different ways. They're throwing the ball more to the tight end, especially in the past several weeks. "I'm not going to wish we used Blake Corum more. Last year, you got to the end of the season and he's hurt, because you may have used him too much. "And I'm not saying that's why he got hurt last year. But he wasn't there for the Big Ten Championship Game, wasn't there for Ohio State, wasn't there for the playoff run. Now you've got guys around the offense who are much healthier. They haven't taken a beating. "You've also got much more to rely on, if a team were to take away the run. I'm very confident that you could throw the ball. If they take away the pass, I'm very confident you could run the ball." The Wolverines also feature an extra dimension in the run game, given Mc- Carthy's mobility, Jansen pointed out. "J.J. has also been a part of that rush- ing attack," he said. "We all watched teams Michigan struggled against in the past, where a quarterback doesn't have to be their leading rusher, but when all hell breaks loose, and it's third-and-15, he picks up 16 with his feet. "It's frustrating as hell to face a quar- terback who can run the read option, make the right decision, has the ball- handling skills in the backfield to fool a defense and all of a sudden runs for 15 or 20 yards, or runs for a touchdown. That's a hard team to defend. "If you've got a team that's multi- dimensional offensively, I'd rather be that team throughout the course of the season than one that is really good, but only in one phase of offense." ON CHEATING, EXCUSES, AND THE UPPER HAND Of course, some Ohio State fans would like the narrative to involve Michigan's accomplishments this season rendered somehow less consequential, because of the sign-stealing controversy. A school that has experienced its share of encounters with the NCAA is suddenly tossing out invective in that ❱ Michigan radio analyst and former All-American Jon Jansen "I think Michigan is the most complete team in the country. I would much rather be Michigan than Ohio State." Coach Ryan Day has a 55-6 overall record at Ohio State, but he is 1-2 versus Michigan. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL