Offense Notes: Blake Corum Leads Prolific Michigan Rushing Attack

Speaking with the media before fall camp, Michigan Wolverines football offensive coordinator Josh Gattis was the first one in the program to publicly declare that U-M wants to run the ball more in 2021.

However, he wasn't the last.

Throughout the preseason, more coaches and players shared similar sentiments. What spoke even louder, though, was the Wolverines' play Saturday afternoon in a 47-14 win over Western Michigan to open the campaign.

Michigan ran it 43 times (compared to just 17 pass attempts), racking up 334 yards (7.8 yards per carry) and three touchdowns on the ground. The Maize and Blue's 334 rushing yards were the most since Nov. 4, 2017, when they put up 371 in a win over Minnesota.

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While redshirt sophomore running back Hassan Haskins was the starter — and posted 70 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries — it was second-year freshman Blake Corum, who ran for 77 yards on 26 carries in 2020, leading the way and enjoying a breakout performance.

On 14 carries, the 5-8, 200-pound speedster churned out 111 yards — running both between the tackles and on the edge — and one touchdown.

“All week, all camp, the O-line has put in a bunch of work, on the field and in the weight room," Corum said following his big afternoon. "They were physical up front, and made the running backs’ job easier, made the quarterback’s job easier and everyone else."

Corum believes he and Haskins make up quite the duo.

“Hassan is a strong dude. It’s hard to tackle him," he said. "He might run through you. Me, I’m more of a finesse guy. I might make you fall.

"It’s a 1-2 punch with us that can make people miss at the second level. It’s hard to stop that — kind of like thunder and lightning.”

He also added a receiving score on a swing pass, becoming the first Wolverine to notch both a rushing score and receiving touchdown in the same game since former fullback Khalid Hill did so in a Nov. 26, 2016 loss to Ohio State.

Wide receivers also got involved in the run game, with second-year freshman A.J. Henning taking an end-around 74 yards for his first-ever college touchdown early in the second half, and taking a similar play 43 yards to set up a second-half score.

Michigan's commitment to run the ball more does not come without benefit to the passing game. Junior wide receiver Ronnie Bell's 76-yard touchdown reception with 9:16 left in the second quarter is a prime example of how the two areas can be cohesive.

"We’d established that we could run the ball at that point," head coach Jim Harbaugh explained. "They were starting to get lower and lower and lower with the secondary, then Ronnie got behind him, made the contested catch, kept his feet and took it in for the score."

“Whatever the game plans sees fit will determine our run-to-pass ratio," redshirt sophomore quarterback Cade McNamara said. "I don’t mind. I thought the calling today was fine. It was perfect. We got the job done.

"Running the ball a little bit more? I don’t mind that. It makes my job a little bit easier.”

McNamara won the starting quarterback job after he led the Wolverines to a comeback, triple-overtime win at Rutgers in the second-to-last game in 2020, then held onto the job through the entire offseason. His first outing of 2021 was more of the same — effective and efficient.

The third-year player finished 9-of-11 passing for 136 yards and two touchdowns, before he was relieved of his duties after the Maize and Blue took a 26-point lead (33-7) midway through the third quarter.

He's now thrown 82 attempts during his college career, with no interceptions.

"Cade McNamara, I thought he played very efficient seeing the field well, making the right throws, all the right decisions," Harbaugh said. "He moves our team. All the drives he’s been in, it's about 66 percent we score points when he’s out there, 14 of 21."

Rookie J.J. McCarthy, meanwhile, entered the game to a rousing applause from the 109,295 fans in attendance while becoming the first Michigan freshman quarterback to see game action in a season opener since Devin Gardner Sept. 4, 2010.

The highly-touted youngster made one mistake — fumbling while being hit — but finished the day with four completions on six passes for 80 yards.

Sixty nine of those yards came on a dazzling play, when McCarthy scrambled outside the pocket, stepped up and fired a dart across the field to a streaking redshirt junior wide receiver Daylen Baldwin, a Jackson State transfer who was also making his Michigan debut and took it to the house.

While it was an unconventional, and potentially risky, play, it's one that McCarthy has made in the past.

"Throwing back running to your right, throwing to your left … he’s got that in him," Harbaugh said. "He's got that creativity in him, and I’m not going to coach that out of him.

"He’s come a long way, going through his reads in a very short time. I thought he was cool in the pocket. You saw him step up in the pocket, climb the pocket, got a couple completions."

“He was able to make a dude miss, and I feel like a strength of his is getting out of the pocket, throwing on the run, throwing on the move," McNamara added of his teammate's dazzling play. "It was an incredible catch and an incredible throw.”

Second-year freshman Zak Zinter was banged up heading into the contest, but he was able to give it a go in limited action as an extra blocker and backup right guard behind redshirt junior Chuck Filiaga, who started in his place.

"I thought Chuck did tremendous," Harbaugh said. "Nobody’s done more than Chuck when it comes to offseason, his preparation, the kind of training camp he had has really been A-Plus.

"I thought the offensive line played really good together. Zinter was able to play today, be a factor in the game, and I think each week more and more and more."

Left to right, Michigan's starting offensive line was: Redshirt sophomore Ryan Hayes (left tackle), redshirt freshman Trevor Keegan (left guard), sixth-year senior Andrew Vastardis (center), Filiaga and redshirt junior Andrew Stueber (right tackle).

• Michigan's 550 yards of total offense were its most since a victory over Maryland Nov. 5, 2016 (660 yards).

• Two Wolverines made their first career starts on offense in redshirt junior tight end Joel Honigford and redshirt freshman left guard Trevor Keegan.

• Eight offensive players made their Michigan debuts: Freshman wide receiver Andrel Anthony, Baldwin, freshman offensive lineman Greg Crippen, freshman running back Donovan Edwards, freshman tight end Matt Hibner, McCarthy, redshirt freshman wide receiver Matt Torey and freshman quarterback Dan Villari.

• McNamara's 76-yard touchdown pass to Bell was Michigan's first scoring toss of 70 or more yards since Nov. 23, 2019, when Shea Patterson hit Nico Collins for 76 yards.

Additionally, Michigan hadn't seen two 70-plus-yard scoring plays in a game since Oct. 2, 2010, when Denard Robinson (72-yard run) and Junior Hemingway (70-yard catch) did so in a triumph over Indiana.

• Haskins has now rushed for a touchdown in three straight games, dating back to last season.

• Henning's 74-yard rushing touchdown was Michigan's first rushing score of 70 or more yards since Nov. 4, 2017, when Karan Higdon found the end zone from 77 yards out in a win over Minnesota.

• Bell left the game directly following his 31-yard punt return midway through the second quarter. According to Harbaugh, he will receive an MRI Saturday night to learn the full extent of his leg injury.

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