Michigan football countdown to kickoff: 20 days until 2022 season
There’s much anticipation heading into the Michigan Wolverines football season, and TheWolverine.com is counting down the days until the Sept. 3 opener against Colorado State. We’ll discuss current Michigan events, the upcoming season and/or take a look at a significant number that correlates with how many days remain until kickoff, whether it be a player’s jersey number, a year, a date, a score, etc.
With 20 days until Michigan kicks off the 2022 season, we discuss U-M running backs coach and run game coordinator Mike Hart. Hart, of course, is also the Wolverines’ all-time leading rusher.
Hart was a four-star recruit on the On3 Consensus but a three-star prospect on the two sites that ranked him. He impressed as a freshman and passed up the others on the depth chart in 2004, though, showing he was wildly underrated.
The Michigan running back rushed for 1,455 yards and nine touchdowns during his first year, the second-highest total of his career. His 5.2 yards per carry was the best mark of his time at Michigan. Hart battled an injury in 2005, when he played in just eight games. He still churned out 662 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
The Syracuse, N.Y., native enjoyed his best Michigan campaign as a junior in 2006. The Maize and Blue were undefeated heading into the regular-season finale at Ohio State, before losing to the Buckeyes, and Hart was a huge piece of that success. He ran for 1,562 yards and 14 touchdowns in 13 contests. That yard mark ranks sixth in Michigan history for a single season.
As a Michigan senior, Hart also missed some time with an injury, only playing in 10 outings. His efficiency was at a high level, though, with 5.1 yards per carry. He racked up 1,361 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground.
Hart’s career was one of the best by a Michigan running back in history. He leads all rushers with 5,040 yards, 545 ahead of second-place Denard Robinson.
Now, Hart is back wearing the block ‘M,’ with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh hiring him to mentor the running backs. The Maize and Blue had an outstanding year on the ground in 2021, ranking 15th nationally with 214.6 yards per game. Hassan Haskins rushed for 1,327 yards and a program-record 20 touchdowns, and Blake Corum, now a junior, racked up 952 rushing yards and 11 scores in just 12 games, missing two with injury.
Corum and Michigan sophomore Donovan Edwards have hopes of becoming the nation’s top running back duo in 2022, running behind an offensive line that could be one of the best in the country once again.
Michigan football countdown to kickoff
22 days | 23 days | 24 days | 25 days | 26 days | 27 days | 28 days | 29 days | 30 days | 31 days | 32 days | 33 days | 34 days | 35 days | 36 days | 37 days | 38 days | 39 days | 40 days | 41 days | 42 days | 43 days | 44 days | 45 days | 46 days | 47 days | 48 days | 49 days | 50 days | 51 days | 52 days | 53 days | 54 days | 55 days | 56 days | 57 days | 58 days | 59 days | 60 days | 61 days | 62 days | 63 days | 64 days | 65 days | 66 days | 67 days | 68 days | 69 days | 70 days | 71 days | 72 days | 73 days | 74 days | 75 days | 76 days | 77 days | 78 days | 79 days | 80 days | 81 days | 82 days | 83 days | 84 days | 85 days | 86 days | 87 days | 88 days | 89 days | 90 days | 91 days | 92 days | 93 days | 94 days | 95 days | 96 days | 97 days | 98 days | 99 days | 100 days
