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Running back Blake Corum on Michigan-Ohio State game: 'I'll be there'

clayton-sayfieby:Clayton Sayfie•11/20/22•

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(Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

YPSILANTI, Mich. — All 110,000-plus at The Big House held their breath Saturday, when Michigan Wolverines football junior running back Blake Corum went down with a left knee injury late in the second quarter of a 19-17 win over Illinois. After walking gingerly to the locker room, Corum came back in for a carry in the second half but was held out after that. Speaking with four reporters Sunday as he handed out turkeys he donated to families in need, Corum briefly discussed the injury.

“The knee is fine,” Corum said. “It will get better. I will be back.”

Asked if he will give it a go next Saturday in Michigan’s biggest game of the season at Ohio State, Corum replied with, “I’ll be there.”

“It’s fine,” he added, responding to a question on if he underwent further tests Sunday.

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During the game, ABC sideline reporter Molly McGrath said Corum had “tears in his eyes” as he left the field before halftime. But the Michigan running back said Sunday that he wasn’t concerned.

“Nah, I wan’t worried,” Corum noted. “I feel like a lot of the time people would be worried, but I know who’s in control. And I feel like with the way my mind is set up and my mentality, I knew whatever the circumstances would’ve been, I would’ve been fine.”

He also commented on his second-half carry and not returning to finish out the game.

“It felt fine,” Corum said of his knee. “I think it was a 5-yard carry. It felt fine. The coaches just said, ‘You’re good.’”

Corum had his turkey giveaway event scheduled for weeks. Despite the injury, missing the special day wasn’t in the cards.

“Nah, man. God woke me up, gave me another day to be here, to stand on my 10 toes and stand on my feet and wiggle my fingers,” he said. “It didn’t cross my mind not to come. I’m blessed. When you’re blessed, there’s nothing to be sad, mad or angry about. That never crossed my mind.”

Jim Harbaugh’s postgame update on Michigan RB Blake Corum

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh provided a vague update on Corum following Saturday’s game, saying that his knee was “structurally good, which is great news,” but that it was “bothering him” in the second half. He added they’d evaluate how Corum feels before commenting further.

Corum still finished with 108 yards on 18 carries, adding 39 in the passing game. He scampered 37 on a screen pass from deep in his own territory to give the Wolverines breathing room, as well.

The Wolverines’ running game struggled without him. Freshman CJ Stokes carried 11 times for 36 yards. Junior Isaiah Gash, who came up with a huge fourth-down grab to keep the last drive alive and ran 3 times for 6 yards.

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