Michigan football: Mike Hart on Blake Corum being 'back,' backfield tandem creating 'issues for the defense'

Michigan Wolverines football flipped the script in Saturday’s 30-3 season-opening win over East Carolina, throwing to set up the run instead of vice versa. The Maize and Blue threw and ran 31 times each, the first time the Michigan rushing attempts weren’t more than passes thrown in a game since 2021.

Running backs coach and run game coordinator Mike Hart was pleased with how the offense responded to ECU stacking the box and selling out to stop the run. U-M threw for 280 yards and still churned out 122 yards on the ground — its lowest in a game since the 2021 Orange Bowl, a 34-11 loss to Georgia (91).

“If they’re not stopping the run, we’re gonna run. If they’re not stopping the pass, we’re gonna pass,” Hart, who will serve as Michigan’s interim head coach for the second half of the next game against UNLV, said Monday morning. It’s pretty simple math — you do what you have to do to win.”

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Michigan won comfortably, with its backups in on offense the entire fourth quarter, so the mission was accomplished. Through three quarters, the Wolverines averaged a stellar 7.2 yards per play, which, for context, would’ve ranked third out of 14 full games for the team last season.

Saturday marked the return for senior Blake Corum, who suffered a season-ending knee injury at the end of the 2022 campaign. Corum averaged 7.3 yards per carry, gaining 73 yards on 10 rushes, including ripping off 21- and 37-yard chunk gains. Michigan junior running back Donovan Edwards gutted out the end of last season injured and missed spring ball, but he was also back on the field. Neither saw much contact during preseason practices, and Corum called the opener a “warm up.”

“Blake’s back. No concerns,” Hart said definitively. “I think he’s been really successful in this conference, in college football. I didn’t think he needed to get hit much during camp — tackled, that is, during camp. I don’t think it’s worth it. Same thing with Donovan. They’re both back.

“But just happy with both of them. They both ran hard, they both played hard. Donovan had more touches than Blake, and Blake is such a great leader — no complains, no anything from him. They’re both special, and obviously we want to get them as many touches as we can.”

Edwards was particularly involved in Michigan’s passing attack, as expected, hauling in 4 catches for 33 yards, 3 of which went for first downs. He lined up in the slot on three passing plays and out wide on one, and saw time in the backfield both alongside Corum and by himself. Corum also had 3 catches for 5 yards as a check-down receiver.

“They’re gonna play, no matter what,” the Michigan position coach said. “We’ll do what we have to do to win. Donovan and Blake can catch the ball well out of the backfield. Obviously, you want to get them on the field at the same time to create issues for the defense. They both can catch, they both can block, they both can run. Just trying to find ways, creatively, to get them touches and allow them to showcase their talent.

“That’s what we do on offense. [Michigan head] Coach [Jim Harbaugh] mentioned it, ‘Feed the studs.’ Who are your best players, and who do you want to get the ball to? Our job as coaches is to find ways to get those guys touches and get them the ball however you can.”

Mike Hart breaks down Michigan’s goal line fumble

Michigan fumbled on the goal line out of a unique set in last year’s Fiesta Bowl against TCU, with the Horned Frogs recovering. In Saturday’s game against ECU, junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Edwards fumbled an exchange at the goal line — McCarthy recovered while down, turning the ball over to the Pirates — a mistake that the signal-caller put on himself when speaking after the game. Hart said it was more coincidence than anything — not a trend — but that the Wolverines have to eliminate mistakes like it.

“One was in the gun, one was underneath,” Hart explained. “It was a hot, low snap. We don’t want that to happen; it’s not good when that happens. But we should’ve scored beforehand, to be honest with you [with 3 straight runs].

“Between the running back and the quarterback, they just weren’t on the same page with where the ball was, so we just gotta work on it. Those things can’t happen; those things can lose you games. So obviously, it’s a major focus in short-yardage, goal line. You don’t want to see that stuff happen.”