The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Butch Woolfolk — 1978: Woolfolk started two games in a crowded backfield that also included Russell Davis, Harlan Huckleby and Roosevelt Smith. He rushed for 359 yards and two scores on the season, averaging 4.7 yards per rush. He posted 120 yards and a TD on 22 attempts in a 42-10 win over Minnesota — the first of 16 100-yard games during his career. Jamie Morris — 1984: The diminutive 5-7, 183-pounder started only four of the Wolverines' 12 games, but he led Michigan in rushing, finishing with 573 yards and two touchdowns on 118 carries (4.9-yard average). Morris went over 100 yards twice, including a 138-yard performance in a 20-14 victory over Wisconsin. Ricky Powers — 1990: Powers made just one start, but he earned 144 carries for the Maize and Blue in 1990, second only to Jon Vaughn (216). He wound up with 748 yards and four touchdowns, holding the single-season freshman running record for 13 years before Mike Hart came along. The 6-0, 205-pound Powers rushed for 100 yards or more in five contests, but had just four such efforts the rest of his career. Justin Fargas — 1998: Ranked as the nation's top running back in the class of 1998, Fargas arrived carrying incredible expectations. Primarily a backup to Anthony Thomas, he started once and went for 120 yards on 31 carries in a rain-soaked 12-6 win at Northwestern. On the year, Fargas finished with just 277 yards and a score on 77 attempts (3.6 yards per rush). Mike Hart — 2004: Every freshman rusher previously seemed like a prelude to Hart. The three-star tailback made his starting debut against Iowa in week four and would start eight total games in his rookie campaign. He almost doubled Powers' 1990 output, going for 1,455 yards and nine touchdowns on 282 carries (5.2 yards per rush), including three consecutive 200-yard efforts. Kevin Grady — 2005: The only five-star back Michigan had ever signed, before Green, Grady filled in for an injured Hart, starting two games among 11 appearances. He rushed for 483 yards, good for second on the team, and five touchdowns on 121 carries (4.0 yards per rush). Grady had a career-high 94 yards and scored twice on 14 rushes (6.7-yard average) in a 41-14 win over Indiana. Sam McGuffie — 2008: The hype for the four-star out of Cypress, Texas, was deafening before he even stepped foot on the field. He started the first six games and played in nine, rushing for 131 yards against Notre Dame and 105 versus Toledo. He notched 486 yards and three scores on the year, but would transfer to be closer to home. Michael Shaw — 2009: With Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor banged up in their senior seasons, Shaw started four games, but earned only 42 carries in nine overall appearances. He rushed for 185 yards (4.4 yards per tote) and two touchdowns, finishing sixth on the team. — Michael Spath