Michigan Football: Why Chris Evans is so important to the Wolverines
Michigan football needs a lot players to play well Saturday against Florida and beyond, but few are as important as Chris Evans.
Everybody knows that Michigan football has talent. But they also know, that the Wolverines are young, very young. However, at some positions, UM isn’t as inexperienced as some might think.
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One of those spots is at running back. And while Michigan football has had a long history of great backs, it has been a long time since the Maize and Blue have had a top-flight ball carrier.
That is until this season, until Chris Evans.
Evans, who came to Michigan as a three-star freshman in 2016, had a breakout season. He ran for 614 yards and averaged seven yards per carry. He also caught six passes for 87 yards and scored four total touchdowns.
His freshman season was impressive sure, but it’s nothing compared to what he is capable of this season or at least, nothing compared to what Michigan football needs from him in 2017.
Certainly, another 600-700 yard season wouldn’t be bad, especially if others like Ty Isaac, Karan Higdon and Kareem Walker all make big strides. But still, the Wolverines have been yearning for a big-time running back and in my opinion, Evans is the best candidate they’ve had in a long time.
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When you really go back and think about, the last truly elite Michigan running back was Mike Hart. Since then, UM’s backs have been mostly underwhelming.
Of course, running the football is always important, but in college football, it matters even more. Teams that win big, routinely have stellar ground games, just look at Alabama, Clemson, Penn State and Ohio State from a season ago.
Michigan football has been missing that element in recent years and in big games a season ago, it was non existent. In the Wolverines three losses in 2016, they averaged just 92 yards per game on the ground. Not once did Michigan football rush for over 100 yards in defeat.
So looking ahead to Saturday, it’s safe to say the running game needs to be more effective. When Florida and Michigan met in the 2016 Citrus Bowl, rushing yards were also telling. UM ran for 225 that day, while the Gators managed just 118. Michigan won that game 41-7.
Obviously, none of this is rocket science. In football, if you can run the ball well, it always increases your chances of winning. However, in recent years, Michigan just hasn’t been able to do it consistently against good teams.
But this season, that needs to change and Evans might be the man to do it. He’s explosive and has breakaway speed. He’s shown he can create big plays, he just needs to do it on a more regular basis.
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And with more opportunities certain to come his way in 2017, I expect Evans to be even better. I also expect him to finally provide Michigan football with the elite back it’s been missing for nearly a decade.