Offense Notes: Michigan Leans Heavily On RB Duo, Physical Offensive Line

Michigan Wolverines football ran for 335 yards (the most since Nov. 4, 2017, against Minnesota) and three touchdowns in a win over Western Michigan to open the season. While there were much tougher tests to come, it was a big way to open the fall.

Then on Saturday, the Wolverines followed it up with an even more prolific performance, rushing for 343 yards and four scores, against what is believed to be a much more challenging opponent in Washington, who opened the year ranked 20th in the AP Preseason Poll.

Michigan is 28-1 under head coach Jim Harbaugh when at least one player records 100 yards rushing. For good measure, the Wolverines had two backs — second-year freshman Blake Corum and redshirt sophomore Hassan Haskins — eclipse the landmark Saturday evening. Both actually surpassed 150 yards, becoming the first Wolverine duo to do so since Karan Higdon and Chris Evans against Minnesota on the aforementioned date in 2017.

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Corum had the hot start, churning out more than 100 yards in the first half, including a 67-yard dash in the second quarter that marked the game's first touchdown and put the Wolverines ahead, 10-0.

He finished with career highs in rushing yards (171) — the most since Haskins gained 149 rushing yards against Notre Dame Oct. 26, 2019 — rushing touchdowns (three) and carries (21).

Haskins remained his steady self, even while seeing a high volume of work, carrying it a career-high 27 times for 155 yards, a new single-game best, and one score.

"They were just having a hard time handling the backs," Harbaugh said. "Hassan, Blake and then the way our offensive line when they started bringing the edge pressure, there were some real creases between the tackles. Our guys hit them. Blake hit the big, long one. Both backs … very impressive."

“It means a lot to me, knowing we have two solid running backs that can run the ball and do the things we have done the last two weeks," Corum added. "I think it’s phenomenal. It puts other teams in a [tough] situation, because you don’t really know who to stop.”

The Maize and Blue's offensive line drew plenty of credit as well. The group added second-year freshman Zak Zinter back into the starting lineup at right guard, where he's now begun five games in his career, and was able to consistently get the push they needed against the Washington defensive front. The Huskies notched just three tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

"Guys like those veteran players like [redshirt junior right tackle Andrew] Stueber, [redshirt sophomore left tackle Ryan] Hayes, [sixth-year senior center Andrew] Vastardis, then [redshirt freshman left guard Trevor] Keegan — they just all played really well," Harbaugh beamed after the game.

"Zak Zinter playing with a club … I thought you couldn’t tell. Did a heck of a job. Tight ends, can’t leave them out. There was so much adjusting that was going on because just seeing so many defenses throughout the course of the game in their motioning, things are moving fast and they’re adjusting."

Hearing the play calls come in, and continually learning it would be a run, was music to the offensive line's ears.

"We got really excited today, because we knew they were getting defeated towards the end of the game, and we just kept hitting them and hitting them and hitting them," Hayes noted. "It was really nice to get those play calls to keep coming — we didn’t go away from it like we might have in the past; we kept going at them. It worked, so …"

It may be hard to judge Michigan's passing game in the win, considering that the Wolverines aired it out only 15 times compared to 56 rushes, but it certainly wasn't as productive as it was last week, when the Maize and Blue completed 13 of 17 passes for 216 yards and two scores.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara connected on 7 of 15 throws for 44 yards and no touchdowns, marking just the fourth outing in which the Wolverines passed for less than 100 since Harbaugh has been at the helm. The three other times that the oddity occurred was against Indiana Nov. 19, 2016 (59 yards), the previously-referenced Minnesota contest in 2017 (56 yards) and a win over Indiana Oct. 14, 2017 (58 yards).

The Wolverines didn't need to get more out of their passing attack, given the rushing success, but it might've been a bigger issue had the contest been tighter. It was the game plan to stick to the run if it worked, and that's exactly what Michigan did.

"That’s a real strength for Washington — their pass defense is outstanding," Harbaugh said. "Their corners are tremendous, and winning the game, going throw for throw with those guys, we didn’t think it was the best formula to win the football game."

• Michigan didn't allow a sack in the game for the first time since the team lost to Penn State Nov. 28, 2020, and for the 15th time during Harbaugh's tenure, which has now spanned 73 games.

• Second-year freshman wide receiver Roman Wilson made the first start of his career, but he did not register any stats.

• Sixth-year senior center Andrew Vastardis went down late in the game with what appeared to be an injury, but Harbaugh revealed postgame that it was nothing more than cramps.

• Corum's 67-yard touchdown scamper marks two straight weeks with rushing touchdowns of 60-plus yards, with second-year freshman A.J. Henning posting a 74-yard ground score against Western Michigan.

• McNamara entered the game having engineered scoring drives on 14 of his 21 possessions leading the offense dating back to the Rutgers game last season (Nov. 28, 2020). After tonight, he has led 19 scoring drives on 32 possessions at quarterback (15 touchdowns and four field goals).

• Michigan converted on seven of its 15 third-down plays (46.7 percent). For the year, the Wolverines have a third-down conversion rate of 53.6 percent (15 of 28). The Wolverines did pick up first downs on two of three fourth-down attempts in the contest.

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