Michigan Football: Zach Charbonnet needs to breakout against Iowa
Michigan football takes on 14th-ranked Iowa this week and if the Wolverines are going to knock off the Hawkeyes, they have to run the ball at least a little.
There are a lot of things that go into winning and losing a football game. But for the Michigan football team to beat Iowa Saturday, one thing it has to do is run the football.
So far this season, the Wolverines have struggled on the ground. They rank 10th in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game and are averaging just 3.5 yards per attempt.
The disaster in Madison a couple of weeks ago didn’t help, but even against Rutgers and Army, Michigan football was held under four yards per rush. That’s not going to cut it, especially against a defense as stout as Iowa.
While Wisconsin is putting up impressive numbers defensively, Iowa is too. The Hawkeyes are third in total defense in the Big Ten, allowing just 251 yards per game and on the ground, they are just as stingy giving up just 77 yards per game.
Obviously, Iowa hasn’t played a bunch of heavyweights. Iowa State was probably its toughest opponent, but still, a tough, physical, defense is what you expect from Kirk Ferentz and company and the Wolverines have to be ready to meet that head-on.
And the way to do that is with freshman running back Zach Charbonnet.
Over the past two games, Charbonnet has only carried the ball a handful of times and even though Jim Harbaugh said that was by design, don’t buy it. Giving him 15-20 carries a game is by design, not five. That tells me he still wasn’t 100 percent last weekend, otherwise, why so much Christian Turner?
More from GBMWolverine
- 3 things to watch for Michigan football vs. Rutgers
- Michigan football vs. Rutgers: Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for College Football Week 4
- Michigan Wolverines news: Jim Harbaugh wants J.J. McCarthy ‘gunslinging’, plus a drop in recruiting rankings
- Grades, game balls for Michigan football vs. Bowling Green
- Michigan Wolverines news: Jake Moody is money in the NFL, plus more
Don’t get me wrong, Turner and Tru Wilson, as well as even Hassan Haskins, have to help share the load but none of them is Charbonnet. The kid has a different kind of ability and hopefully, it will be on display Saturday.
Charbonnet doesn’t have to be spectacular, but he needs to be effective. The Wolverines have got to find some sort of balance and he’s their best shot.
If that works, it will open things up in the passing game, especially with the play-action passes down the field. That worked against Rutgers and it can work against Iowa too. Michigan football is loaded with talent at receiver, but a solid running game will be needed to help showcase that.
For one, running the ball can help limit the pass rush and open up more chances to be aggressive. It will also allow the defense to stay off the field against Nate Stanley and give the O-line a better chance to keep Patterson protected.
Michigan doesn’t need 300 yards on the ground or anything like that, but it can’t be held way under 100 and average three yards a carry. Winning a game with those numbers is possible, it’s just not very likely.
dark. Next. Top 10 Michigan football running backs of all time
That’s why Charbonnet needs to be healthy and also why he needs enough carries to have a breakout performance.