Blake Corum sets Michigan single-season rushing touchdown record
For the second time in three years, a Michigan running back broke the single-season rushing touchdown record. It was Hassan Haskins in 2021, and now, it’s Blake Corum.
Corum ran in a touchdown in the first quarter of Saturday’s game against Ohio State to give him 21 rushing scores on the season. That took past Haskins, his former teammate, to become the program’s single-season leader in rushing touchdowns.
Corum was on pace to break the record last season, totaling 18 rushing touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury against Illinois. At the time, he looked like he was closing in on a Heisman Trophy run. Instead, he had to watch the rest of the year — including the win over Ohio State — from the sidelines.
Rather than declare for the NFL Draft, though, Corum opted to return to Michigan for another go-round. Michigan made a big NIL push to keep him in town, along with other upperclassmen, through the One More Year fund.
That wasn’t the main reason Corum returned, though. He had unfinished business, and he saw the amount of talent Michigan had on the roster this year. There were big moments looming, such as last week’s game against Penn State.
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That day — a 24-15 Michigan win — Corum ran the ball 26 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns to help get an important top-10 victory. Afterward, he said games like that are why he chose to return as he helped keep Michigan not only in the Big Ten title race, but also in the mix for a national championship.
“This is what I was made for,” Corum said. “This is what my team was made for. The offensive line, I told them just fight, man. Push, push and I’m gonna run downhill. I’m so proud of Donovan [Edwards], I’m so proud of the tight ends. J.J. [McCarthy], he got dinged up but he kept fighting, man.
“This team’s full of fighters. That’s what I love about them. That’s why I came back. I didn’t come back for stats, I didn’t come back for touchdowns. I came back for these guys, I came back to win. I’m just so blessed.”
Blake Corum now has 50 career rushing touchdowns, which ranks second in Michigan history. He’ll have more opportunities to add to his list of achievements next week, though. It will be his second time facing Ohio State at full strength. Corum played a few snaps in last year’s victory, but it’s safe to say he’ll be a key piece of the game plan once again.