FootballSaturday, September 26, 2015
8
Wolverines replace questions with
exclamation points in rushing game
Smith still No. 1
back, but gap closing
as all four running
backs emerge
By ZACH SHAW
Daily Sports Editor
Before the 2015 season began,
one of the biggest question
marks surrounding the Michigan
football team was in the backfield.
It wasn’t a matter of whether
they could perform — redshirt
junior Drake Johnson and juniors
Ty Isaac, De’Veon Smith and
Derrick Green had all shown
flashes of being a lead back in
previous seasons — but rather
a question of how many of the
backs would see the field, and if a
multiple-back system could work.
After
two
dominant
wins
over Oregon State and UNLV in
which the Wolverines totaled 479
rushing yards and seven rushing
touchdowns, the question marks
surrounding
Michigan’s
run
game have been replaced with
exclamation points.
“We’re
progressing
in
the
right direction,” said Michigan
running backs coach Tyrone
Wheatley. “We’re going the right
direction. Each guy’s going the
right direction. Each game we’re
improving. Each game we’re
picking up little things we’re
getting better at.”
From a statistical perspective,
the
carries
have
primarily
gone to Smith, but all four have
performed when they needed to:
Smith: 53 carries, 206 yards,
3.9 yards per carry, 3 touchdowns
Isaac: 18 carries, 161 yards, 8.9
YPC, 1 touchdown
Green: 13 carries, 46 yards, 3.5
YPC, 1 touchdown
Johnson: 6 carries, 31 yards,
5.2 YPC, 0 touchdowns
The
numbers
are
a
little
deceptive, as different backs come
in at different situations. That
said, every back is making forward
progress, as the Wolverines are
sixth in the nation with just eight
tackles for loss allowed.
With Johnson’s role increasing
by the day after tearing his
anterior cruciate ligament for the
second time last November, the
backfield might look a little hectic
at times, but the Wolverines see a
method to the madness.
“I wouldn’t look at it as
throwing guys in there,” said
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.
“We’ve got football players that
are hungry, that want to be in
there, that are improving and
making
contributions
to
the
team,
and
there’s
something
about not just throwing a guy in
but strategically putting a player
in to be successful.”
Isaac was the most successful
last week. In a game that was
over almost as soon as it began,
Isaac broke free for a 76-yard
touchdown run to pave the way
for his game-high 114 yards.
In the second half, Green
and Johnson took most of the
snaps. Green — whom Wheatley
assured wasn’t in the doghouse
despite lackluster numbers — was
the fourth back to be used, as
Johnson continues to build to a
heavier load.
“I’m
not
a
doctor and I’m
not in Drake’s
knee,
so
I
don’t
know,”
Wheatley said.
“Right now, he
looks good. He’s
doing well. Of
all the things
we’ve
asked
him to do to
this point, he’s
passed
with
flying colors, so up until now I
would say he looks good.”
As for the matchup against No.
23 BYU, the Cougars gave up 296
rushing yards against No. 9 UCLA
last week, suggesting Michigan
will once again rely on its run
game to carry the offensive load.
Wheatley isn’t quite sure how
he’ll split up the carries, but he
knows the game
plan will be the
same for all the
backs.
“Each
week
is pretty much
the same thing
for us in the
backfield,”
he
said. “A) reduce
— pretty much
reduce,
have
no
negative
yards
rushing.
B) Try not to leave any yards out
there, meaning let’s hit the right
tracks, hit the right marks, right
cuts. Let’s not leave any yards
out there. And C) I would just
say pass protection. Protect the
quarterback.”
Of course, there’s one more
matter of importance to the
run game. The Wolverines have
rushed the ball 116 times, and
have yet to fumble the ball once.
After coughing up the ball eight
times last season, the decrease is
a welcome change for Michigan.
Wheatley — who felt compelled
to knock on wood after hearing
the stat — feels the negative
consequences afforded by the
position’s depth have led to the
improved effort.
“There’s two ways to really
get put on the bench: A) get the
quarterback hit, B) put the ball on
the ground,” Wheatley said. “All
the guys want to play, so you’ve
just got to put one stigma in their
mind about sitting on the bench,
and then it kind of hits home.”
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Junior running back De’Veon Smith has received by far the most carries for Michigan, but fellow junior Ty Isaac had a breakout game of his own last weekend.
“We’ve got
football
players that
are hungry.”