TCU focusing on slowing down Michigan run game 'because that stops their offense'
Michigan Wolverines football has a physical, smash-mouth identity on offense. The Maize and Blue average 43 rushes (tied for the 13th-most in the sport) for 243 yards (fifth) per game.
To this point, opponents just haven’t been able to stop the Wolverines’ ground game. Some have slowed it down for stretches, even a half, but none have done it consistently for an entire game. Michigan has rushed for 225 or more yards in nine of 13 contests and never accumulated less than 168 yards on the ground in any clash. That season low came without sophomore running back Donovan Edwards and junior ball-carrier Blake Corum missing the majority of the game.
TCU, Michigan’s opponent in the College Football Playoff semifinal Dec. 31 at the Fiesta Bowl, has a big challenge ahead. The Horned Frogs allow 4.1 yards per carry (67th nationally) and 157.8 yards per game (65th). Opponents have had success on the ground, for the most part, with all but two racking up 100-plus rushing yards, though Texas (28 yards) was held to a low total.
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Appearing on ‘The Herd with Colin Cowherd,’ TCU head coach Sonny Dykes expressed his concern with the Michigan run game.
“Yeah, honestly, I think everybody that plays Michigan probably is a little bit concerned with that,” Dykes said after being asked about the Wolverines’ “bully ball” ability.
“They’ve got a really good offensive line — I think it’s the strength of their football team. They’re big up front on both lines of scrimmage. They’ve got three tight ends that can jump into some 13 personnel and do some interesting things from a run-game perspective; they’ll play with six, seven offensive linemen at different times. So you can tell that they want to run the ball.”
Ohio State stopped Michigan’s run game in the first half Nov. 26, holding the Wolverines to just 10 rushing yards at the break. However, they picked up 258 second-half rushing yards and saw Edwards rip off 75- and 85-yard touchdown runs to seal the 45-23 blowout victory.
Even while the Buckeyes were containing Michigan’s ground game, though, the Wolverines were able to move the ball and score points. Sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw 69- and 75-yard touchdown passes in the first half, and played the best game of his career with 263 passing yards and 3 scores.
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“The quarterback has really played well,” Dykes said. “He’s made a bunch of big plays for them. But they’re a football team that wants to run it, and they really do a nice job at staying patient with the run game,” Dykes continued. They can push people around.
“So that’s going to be the big challenge for us, is stopping the run and make the quarterback beat us. He’s certainly capable of doing it. But we’ve got to stop the run, because that stops their offense.”
TCU had success with that formula against Texas, which also touts a great running back in Doak Walker Award winner Bijan Robinson. The Longhorns, though, went 8-4 on the season and are ranked No. 20 in the CFP rankings, nowhere near the top four.
Their quarterback, Quinn Ewers, is also much less impressive than McCarthy, completing only 56.6 percent of his passes with 7.3 yards per attempt on the year. He went 17-of-39 passing for 171 yards with 1 interception versus the Horned Frogs.
Only time will tell if TCU can get similar results against Michigan.
