ANN ARBOR -- One of Josh Gattis’ biggest regrets last season as Michigan’s offensive coordinator was de-emphasizing the team’s run game too early in games.
The Wolverines stuck with it from start to finish in Saturday’s 47-14 season-opening win against Western Michigan at Michigan Stadium.
On their first drive, they ran the ball eight out of 11 plays, marching 75 yards for a touchdown. Senior Hassan Haskins and sophomore Blake Corum each had four carries on the drive, and both continued to be featured until Michigan held a comfortable lead.
The elusive 5-foot-8 Corum finished with 111 rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, while the bulldozing 6-foot-1, 220-pound Haskins had 13 carries for 70 yards and a score.
“Hassan is a strong dude, so it’s hard to tackle him,” Corum said. “He might run through you. Me, I am more of a finesse guy. I might make you fall. With the one-two punch with both of us that can make people miss at the second level, it is hard to stop that. It is kind of like thunder and lightning.”
Even before the Wolverines began pulling away, they remain committed to the run. They ran the ball on 24 of 34 plays in the first half, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. When they put the ball in quarterback Cade McNamara’s hands, he often found an open receiver, completing 8 of 10 passes for 130 yards in the first 30 minutes.
“I think it brings a lot of momentum because if we are running the ball, they are going to have to do something defensively to stop it, which will open up the pass,” Corum said. “And QB1 (McNamara) was slinging that thing.”
In 2020, Michigan allowed the first score in all six games and were frequently playing from behind. Whether it was McNamara or Joe Milton behind center, the team often tried to play catch-up by moving the ball through the air. The Wolverines’ defense also struggled to keep opponents off the board.
But on Saturday, the Michigan followed the blueprint throughout the game after grabbing an early lead. The team finished with 550 yards, with 334 coming on the ground.
“I think whatever the game plan sees fit will determine our run-to-pass ratio,” McNamara said. “I thought the (play) calling today was fine. It was perfect. We got the job done. Running the ball a little bit more, I don’t mind. That makes my job a little bit easier.”
Corum, who had 26 carries for 77 yards in 2020, had several explosive plays Saturday, including a 14-yard touchdown reception on a swing pass, a 79-yard kickoff return and a 30-yard touchdown run.
“I felt like I was a little more patient today,” Corum said. “But when you are playing, you can’t really tell how patient you actually are. I felt like I took what I did in the offseason and applied it today. Obviously, I can fix some things, fix a couple reads that I probably had. I’m going to go back to the film and watch that. But I definitely feel like I was more patient today, which is one of the big things I was working on this season.”
Of course, the offensive line deserves some credit too, he said.
“All week, really all camp, all offseason our O-line has been putting in a bunch of work on the field and in the weight room,” Corum said. “That’s what you guys saw today. They were really physical upfront and made the running backs’ job easier, Cade’s job easier and everyone else.”
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