The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, September 28, 2022 — 11
Blake Corum carries Wolverines
with electrifying performance
JOSH TAUBMAN
Daily Sports Editor
Blake Corum was never con-
cerned about the lack of attention.
Back before he became the
unequivocal lead back for the
Michigan football team; back
before he bulked up in the off-
season by adding 11 pounds; back
before he was throwing up stat
lines that were being mentioned
in the same breath as players from
the 1960s.
Back before the season, before
anyone had seen how the junior
running back would look on the
field, Corum was asked how he
felt typically being left out of the
national conversation about the
best running backs in the country.
“I don’t really care about the
accolades,” Corum said on Aug. 19.
“It’s cool. It’s nice. But I don’t care.
I don’t really pay attention to that
stuff.”
In the preseason, college foot-
ball pundits may have overlooked
Corum’s name as one that could be
listed amongst the nation’s elite.
But after his electrifying perfor-
mance on Saturday, they’re sure
to start paying attention — even if
Corum won’t.
Thrust into an outsized role
on Saturday, the Maryland native
thrived against his home state
Terrapins — delivering the offense
the juice it needed to pull out a vic-
tory.
With
sophomore
Donovan
Edwards sidelined due to injury
and an unproven group of run-
ners behind him, Corum was
bound to shoulder the bulk of the
ground game. As the game unfold-
ed, though, it became apparent
that sophomore quarterback J.J.
McCarthy and the passing game
wasn’t up to its usual flare that had
torched secondaries throughout
the first three games.
So Corum was called on to will
the entire offense forward and
grind out a closer than expected
win.
His response? 30 carries. 243
yards. 2 touchdowns.
“With my mind set, I feel like
I’ve always been able to carry the
ball that many times,” Corum said
after the game. “I prepare in the
offseason for a reason.”
As time winded down in the
first half, the Wolverines leaned
on Corum to handle one of their
first bouts with adversity on the
season. Trailing 13-10 and caught
in no man’s land, Michigan kept
its foot on the gas — going for it on
fourth and inches to keep the drive
alive.
Everyone in the stadium knew
who the ball was going to. But not
even Corum could’ve envisioned
what the end result would be.
After the offensive line sealed,
Corum opted not to dive forward
for the easy first down. Instead,
he cut to the left and accelerated
upfield — where there wasn’t a
single defender around to stop
him.
“We snapped the ball crash-
ing down, o-line crashed down
and there was a big old hole,”
Corum said. “So I’m like, ‘Let’s
go.’ ”
Corum sent the Wolverines
into the locker room with the
lead, and when they returned
to the field, he made sure that
a floundering offense would
have enough to pull out a vic-
tory. As the minutes bled down
and Maryland remained within
striking distance, Corum was
there, over and over, to ensure
there would be no upset.
“Thirty carries, I mean we
knew very well that he could
handle that,” Michigan coach
Jim
Harbaugh
said.
“He’s
trained. This isn’t something
that he just goes out and does. It’s
a seven day a week thing for him
year round to train himself to be
in a position to do what he does.”
Last season was Corum’s
first chance to be a contributor
from the backfield, but he had a
defined role; he was the speed
back while Hassan Haskins pro-
vided the power.
A quarter of the way through
this season, Corum has laid ques-
tions to rest about who would fill
out the other half of last year’s
thunder and lightning duo.
It’s Corum, himself.
He rushed to the tune of eight
yards a carry, constantly surg-
ing forward and embracing con-
tact. It didn’t matter whether
he needed to bruise it up to the
middle or break it to the outside
in space. It was the fact that he
could handle it all, that a rush-
ing play would inevitably result
in positive yardage, that show-
cased his irreplaceable value to
Michigan.
Sports
FOOTBALL
SportsMonday: Panic, or don’t. It’s up to you.
NICK STOLL
Managing Sports Editor
It’s time to panic.
If you want to, that is.
The No. 4 Michigan football
team certainly gave some cause for
concern in Saturday’s 34-27 scare
against Maryland. The game saw
the Wolverines trail for the first
time this season. Sophomore quar-
terback J.J. McCarthy of Nazareth
(Academy) wasn’t the next coming.
And the defense showed plenty of
holes against the Terrapin offense.
If you want to take these things
and run with them, go ahead. But
there’s a different perspective to
watching that game that you can
take — one of learning and tact.
So let’s learn, starting with the
offense.
McCarthy isn’t always going to
be the unstoppable prodigy that
the fanbase wants him to be. He
showed that he’s human, pair-
ing mistakes with his seemingly-
inhuman feats. Notably, McCarthy
overthrew open receivers on deep
routes thrice and underthrew
sophomore receiver Andrel Antho-
ny on a route of the same ilk. That’s
on top of fumbling the ball twice
and launching an ill-advised near-
interception in the endzone on a
pass intended for fifth-year receiv-
er Ronnie Bell.
“It definitely wasn’t my best per-
formance,” McCarthy said Satur-
day. “I want some things back that
happened out there.”
Next to him at the podium,
junior running back Blake Corum
chuckled before adding, under his
breath: “I want some back, too.”
It’s a bit of an amusing com-
ment coming from the player that
just rushed for 243 yards and two
touchdowns, easily passing the eye
test as the best player in the Big
House on Saturday. But it’s also a
testament to the optimist’s point of
view of the Wolverines.
They’re touting a potential Heis-
man-caliber running back next to a
high-upside quarterback and a tal-
ented receiver room. And Michigan
isn’t even healthy at the moment.
Sophomore running back Dono-
van Edwards will likely return
soon, adding an element to both the
pass and run game, and the offen-
sive line is still recovering from its
piecemeal solution to an injury-rid-
dled start to the season.
Speaking of which, the offensive
line — against better competition
— took a leap forward in terms of
chemistry, pass protection and run
blocking.
“(We can) talk about how many
yards I put up but the o-line killed
it today,” Corum said. “They make
my job easy. They allowed me to get
to the second level defenders real
quick.”
So there were positives, even
when the Wolverines’ offense
floundered at times. And the only
way to find out whether the good
or bad will rise to the top is to wait
and see.
The same holds for the defense.
Michigan’s defense looked sus-
pect throughout the game Satur-
day, allowing 27 points and nearly
400 total yards. Most concerningly,
the Wolverines’ pass rush often
appeared weak, and seemed non-
existent at times. That allowed
Maryland
quarterback
Taulia
Tagovailoa to deliver through the
air, going through his reads with
time to spare and sometimes turn-
ing up field to make a play with his
legs.
“We’re getting past the quarter-
back a few too many times,” Michi-
gan coach Jim Harbaugh said.
“And there (Tagovailoa) proved
to be really slippery and good. We
had some shots to get him back,
get him on the ground, but he was
tough. It’s tough to get him on the
ground.”
Beyond that, the Wolverines’
defensive backs were inconsistent.
Sometimes, they lost their man and
gave up easy receptions. But alter-
natively, they came up with two
improbable interceptions at critical
times to turn the tide of the game.
Michigan’s
defense
showed
its volatility on full display: look-
ing paper thin on some drives and
drawing whispers of last year’s
competent squad on others. That’s
either a good thing or a bad thing —
a defense burgeoning with poten-
tial or marred by inconsistencies
— depending on how you look at it.
The last thing is that Maryland
JEREMY WEINE/Daily
might be a fully competent team,
it’s just too early in the college
football season to know for sure.
Many programs have already lost
to teams they “shouldn’t have,” and
only 20 undefeated teams in FBS
remain, so Michigan being one of
them is a feat that should not be
taken lightly.
And again, don’t be too rash to
judge — book, cover, that whole
saying, you get it. Remember the
Wolverines’ game against Rutgers
last year? The unconvincing early-
season 20-14 win led to pundits and
fans alike writing Michigan off all
together. That didn’t hold up well.
So while your mind is racing
about whether the Wolverines can
reach the same heights they did a
season ago, remember to put every-
thing in perspective.
There’s plenty to criticize, and
there’s plenty to worry about. So if
you want to spend the next week
— or more — thinking about that,
feel free. But consider the alterna-
tive: waiting, watching Michigan’s
game next week, learning more
about what this team actually is
and saving yourself some mental
turmoil in the process.
Or not. It’s up to you.
Following a nerve wracking victory over Maryland, worrying about the football team
seems reasonable, but there’s more to be learned from Saturday.
Against Maryland, J.J. McCarthy
shows room for growth
JARED GREENSPAN
Managing Sports Editor
Entering Saturday, J.J. McCar-
thy’s season had followed the
same, Hollywood-style script.
The
wunderkind
sophomore
quarterback won a tense battle
for QB1, unseating senior incum-
bent Cade McNamara. Then, in
two starts — against Hawaii and
UConn — McCarthy dazzled,
lighting up the scoreboard and
stirring the imagination.
Saturday, McCarthy deviated
from the script.
Michigan’s first true test of
the season doubled as the first
true test of McCarthy’s reign,
too. Maryland’s pass defense is
pedestrian, ranking 10th in the
Big Ten in passing yards allowed
per game. But the Terrapins
marked a step-up in competition,
boasting bona fide talent.
McCarthy’s final line — 18-of-
26 for 220 passing yards and two
touchdowns, along with two
fumbles — is striking. In the end,
he helped usher the Wolverines
to victory. But his performance
featured a blend of good and bad,
a mix of perfection and head-
scratching moments.
When asked to assess his play,
McCarthy smiled, per usual. He
also let out a long sigh.
“It definitely wasn’t my best
performance,” McCarthy said. “I
want some things back that hap-
pened out there. But I was happy
with the way we were able to
move the ball when at times we
needed to respond. … I was just
happy with the way we respond-
ed.”
McCarthy
responded
well,
too. Each gaffe seemed to be met
with a play meant for a highlight
reel.
McCarthy opened the fourth
quarter with a beautiful 20-yard
touchdown
strike
to
junior
receiver Roman Wilson, putting
Michigan up 24-13. He began the
ensuing drive by short-arming
a pass to sophomore receiver
Andrel Anthony. Two plays later,
he lofted a ball down the sideline,
hitting graduate receiver Ronnie
Bell in stride for a 49-yard gain.
And, three plays after that, he
tried to force a pass to Bell in
the front corner of the endzone,
nearly throwing an interception.
Michigan settled for a field goal.
So it goes.
“I think he did a lot of great
things,” Michigan coach Jim
Harbaugh said. “With the game
on the line, throws to Roman, to
Ronnie Bell, just to name a cou-
ple. Thought he worked the ball
to the tight ends. … He just kinda
settled into playing good funda-
mental football.”
This is all a process for
McCarthy; there are lessons to
be learned on the fly. Harbaugh
knows that. Crucibles like Satur-
day’s game, a surprisingly close
contest against the Terrapins,
allow for McCarthy to develop.
There are other opportunities
to learn, too.
Saturday,
McCarthy
held
court with Charles Woodson, in
town as a part of FOX’s Big Noon
Kickoff coverage. The pair talk-
ed, though McCarthy did most of
the listening, soaking in Wood-
son’s critique and advice.
“The big thing that stood out
to me with him was just to use
my legs more,” Mccarthy said. “I
mean, God gave me them for a
reason. And when I’m sitting
back there and I’m not seeing
anything open, just run. That’s
what I took wholeheartedly,
and that’s something that I
really need to do.”
McCarthy’s mobility helped
separate himself from McNa-
mara, who lacks the same agil-
ity and speed. But there are
spots to deploy those traits, and
McCarthy needs to pick and
choose. That’s what he’s still
learning. McCarthy’s perfor-
mance Saturday featured the
full spectrum of decision-mak-
ing, both brilliant and erratic.
In the second quarter, with
Michigan facing a third and
seven, McCarthy eluded a furi-
ous rush of Maryland defend-
ers,
eventually
scampering
for the first down. The crowd
roared in delight.
Five plays later, on second
and ten, McCarthy tried to per-
form similar heroics. Instead,
he wound up taking a 15-yard
sack and fumbling the football
— his second fumble of the day.
Though the Wolverines recov-
ered the football both times,
the yardage lost would prove
costly: Fifth-year kicker Jake
Moody shanked the 43-yard
field goal try.
FOOTBALL
Michigan can’t find the net in draw against Ohio State
The Michigan women’s soccer
team’s season has been defined
by trouble in the box — its match
against Ohio State was no differ-
ent.
Despite a strong defensive per-
formance, the Wolverines (5-3-2
overall, 0-2-1 Big Ten) couldn’t
pot the ball against the Buckeyes
(6-2-2, 1-1-1) in a scoreless draw.
Michigan’s defense held up
well against a formidable Ohio
State offense, protecting the net
from its rival. Even the Wolver-
ines’ attackers made a consistent
effort to get back on defense and
protect the goal.
“We wanted to make sure that
we were good defensively,” Mich-
igan coach Jen Klein said. “We
knew that they were gonna have
some very good attacking person-
alities, so we wanted to make sure
that we were good collectively in
our defensive press.”
Fifth-year
goalkeeper
Izzy
Nino showed increased comfort
in her new starting role notching
five saves — including an impres-
sive leaping grab after a ball came
whipping at the upper 90.
On the other half of the field,
sophomore forward Kacey Law-
rence and senior forward Lily
Farkas sent in cross after cross
and shot after shot to try and put
Michigan on the board.
Early in the first half, Michigan
crowded into the box searching
for an early lead. Junior forward
Sammi Woods crossed it in from
the right side of the field, and
Lawrence tried to chip it in with
a cheeky little chop move that
went wide. The crowd sighed and
moaned in frustration — a feeling
that became all too familiar.
“You kinda scratch your head
a little bit,” Klein said. “We’re in
really good spots and we’re show-
ing some good balance and tech-
nical ability.”
But the sighs continued to echo
all night.
In the 32nd minute, Farkas fed
the ball into Lawrence leaving
her in a one-on-one with Ohio
State goalkeeper Katherine Rob-
inson. Robinson slid into Law-
rence’s feet to snatch the ball up.
The first half continued with
the same energy of discontent,
frustration and anger on the field.
Lawrence was fouled and
knocked to the ground multiple
times, but she remained resil-
ient on the field and continued to
push up and down.
“Ah man, that girl was on fire;
the one thing she was missing
was a goal, Klein said. “She is
such a spark of energy, her ability
to go and have one gear. A spark
plug that just fires and goes. She
brought some unbelievable ener-
gy and brought some really good
chances for us.”
The second half started with
the same energetic push up the
field. Wolfe sent a shot soaring
high above the net, and it was fol-
lowed up with a curving corner
that missed outside.
The crowd once again held
their breath midway through the
second half as Farkas faked out
her defender to launch a would-
be-game winner that slammed
off the crossbar.
Even with the Wolverine’s
brilliant efforts on both sides of
the ball, they couldn’t capitalize
on their opportunities to win, a
continuing theme of their lack-
luster season.
Michigan is teetering on drop-
ping to .500 with half the season
to go — sinking to the bottom of
the Big Ten rankings.
And if the Wolverines want
to be competitive in the Big Ten
with the likes of No. 4 Rutgers
and No. 17 Penn State, they’ll
need to shoot better against
respectable competition. They
can’t just rely on their admirable
defense.
As the saying goes, defense
wins championships — but only if
the offense can put up points too.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
REMI WILLIAMSON
Daily Sports Writer
SYDNEY HASTINGS-WILKINS/Daily
The inability to capitalize on scoring chances resulted in a scoreless outing for the Wolverines.
JEREMY WEINE/Daily
J.J. McCarthy drops back and surveys the field Saturday.
EMMA MATI/Daily
Junior running back Blake Corum breaks away in Saturday’s 34-27 win over Maryland.
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