Michigan Football remains confident run game is ‘heading in the right direction’
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The Michigan Wolverines are accustomed to having one of the nation’s most effective and explosive rushing attacks year in and year out. However, that simply hasn’t been the case throughout the first four games of this season.
Michigan is currently 74th in the country and 10th in the Big Ten with 4.0 yards per carry, while ranking 66th in the nation and 11th in the Big Ten with 149.0 rushing yards per game. That just isn’t up to the standard at Michigan.
“We have to be better,” running back Jordan Marshall told the media. “We’re coming together as an offense, and we have to trust in each other. The trust is growing every single week. Not only player to player, but coach to coach.”
The Wolverines finally started to find a bit of a rhythm on the ground in recent weeks — averaging 169.0 rushing yards per game over the last two outings — and head coach Kyle Whittingham is confident in the direction of the run game.
“We’re starting to get more from the run game,” Whittingham said. “We faced the No. 1 defense in the country on Saturday and put up 150 rushing yards, so we’re heading in the right direction and have seen steady improvement.”
Michigan certainly has no shortage of talent in the backfield, with Marshall leading the room alongside running backs Savion Hiter and Bryson Kuzdzal, as well as quarterback Bryce Underwood. So if talent isn’t the issue, what’s wrong?
For a number of reasons, the Wolverines just haven’t been able to get the rushing attack going at a consistent rate. Whether it’s penalties, play calling, poor vision, or subpar blocking, Michigan’s run game is seemingly out of sync.
“I think we can design some things to get out in space a little more,” offensive line coach Jim Harding told the media. “It’s not always about a play design though, sometimes it’s breaking a tackle or straining on your block long enough.”
In order to unlock the run game, Michigan must improve across the board. Not only do coaches need to design plays to get playmakers out in space, but the offensive line needs to block better and the running backs have to run harder.
For the first time in more than 20 years, the Wolverines didn’t have a single running back have 100+ rushing yards in a game in the month of September, which just goes to show that the run game isn’t even close to where it needs to be.
There’s more to a successful rushing attack than big plays, but generating explosive runs is a big part of breaking down the defense and building confidence. Through four games, Michigan has just one rushing attempt of over 20 yards.
“The big plays are coming,” Marshall told the media. “As long as we keep playing hard and keep running hard, and we have the intent to score on every single play, one of them is going to pop for us. We’re going to have an explosive run.”
Michigan is confident in the run game’s ability to get going and for good reason. There is a ton of depth, experience and explosiveness in the running back room, but now it’s time to prove it on the field and get back to dominating on the ground.
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