Michigan Football Needs a Running Game to Really Succeed
Now that Harbaugh-mania has died down a bit and the college football season has officially begun, it is time to actually focus on the game. The University of Michigan Wolverines lost 24-17 to Utah. Was it awful? No. Was it good? It had its moments. While the game was not a blowout, it showed exactly where Michigan is weakest: the running game.
To begin, there were a few positives. I mean, Utah is not a bad team. In 2014, the Utes were ranked No. 20 with a 9-4 record. They beat teams like USC, Stanford and Oregon State. They also beat the Wolverines 26-10. For the first game of the season with a new coach, new quarterback and in a stadium across the country, I’d say Michigan could have fared a lot worse.
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Iowa-transfer Jake Rudock got the start at quarterback against Utah and was okay. He went 27-for-43, completing 62.8% of his passes, and had a quarterback rating of 118.7. He also threw for 279 yards, three picks but only two touchdowns. One pick ended a Michigan drive that got the team into the red zone. He also overthrew a few wide receivers that broke away and would have easily scored had the throw been on target. Some of these mistakes can be chalked up to nerves and miscommunication, so I’m willing to give him another shot or two without passing judgment one way or the other. If all else fails, there is always Shane Morris. (I have to say, it is nice to have an actual backup quarterback for the first time in a few years.)
As for receivers, Amara Darboh had a good game with 8 catches for 101 yards (an average of 12.6) and a TD. He also currently leads the team in the newly-brought-back helmet stickers. He seems to be a good match for Rudock, and I look forward to seeing what he will do this season.
The big issue against Utah was the running game. Michigan rushed for only 76 yards on 29 carries, a pitiful average of 2.6 yards per carry. The longest run was a whopping 7 yards. (To put that into perspective, there are some crocodiles that grow to that length.) If this team wants any sort of success this season, that has to improve. The running backs struggled to find holes in the Utah defense, even when they were there. If the runners can’t read the defense in front of them, we are all in for a long season.
De’Veon Smith got the most carries, by far, with 17. He only ran for 47 yards, though (an average of 2.8). It is clear he is the current favorite to get the ball, but his numbers need to go up if he wants to keep that title. That being said, it’s not like any other running back stood out to take his place.
Michigan now looks to Saturday when it takes on another PAC-12 team, Oregon State, at the Big House. OSU was 5-7 last season and lost to teams that Utah beat, like Stanford and USC, and even Utah itself (in double OT). I’m confident that the Wolverines will pull out the win in front of the hometown crowd now that they have a game under their belts, if the running game picks up a bit.