Michigan football ran all over Washington on Saturday night at the Big House, and here are five things we learned about the Wolverines.
The Maize Out proved to be a success for Michigan football. The fans showed out, were loud, and were treated to a stellar performance from Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines.
Leading up to this one, we said it was going to be low-scoring and even predicted an NFL-style battle between the two teams. And while it started that way, Michigan football didn’t have much need for a pro-style offense.
The Wolverines simply ran the ball right down Washington’s throat and there wasn’t a damn thing the Huskies could do about it.
The defense was also exceptional. Not only did the Wolverines hold Washington to just 10 points but the running game, which was my biggest concern going into the game, went nowhere.
Michigan football’s front seven owned the line of scrimmage. So did the offensive line but holding Washington to 1.6 yards per carry on offense might secretly be the most exciting stat of the night.
The most worrisome: Cade McNamara’s 7-of-15 for 44 yards passing stat line. Yet when you run for 343 yards and demoralize the other team, does it really matter?
Last night it didn’t and looking back at Michigan’s 31-10 win, here are five things we learned:
Michigan football has an identity on offense
It’s the running game and it’s going to be the focal point of the offense this season. And after what we have seen in two games, it should be.
Certainly, the passing game will need to do more than it did last night, although if the offense is putting together drives like last night, it might not need to.
Three times in the second half against a very good Washington defense, Michigan drove down the field for touchdowns on drives that covered 73 yards, 75 yards, and 56 yards. They also were eight, 14, and 10-play drives.
How many passes did Michigan complete on those three drives? One. McNamara was 1-for-2 with nine yards on a completion to Blake Corum. He also ran for a first down.
That’s how dominant Michigan was on offense. The offensive line bullied the Huskies. Michigan ran up 6.1 yards per rushing attempt and scored all four touchdowns on the ground.
Michigan ripped off plenty of explosive runs, but maybe more impressively, was the way Corum and Hassan Haskins just ground out yard after yard. Both backs went over 150 yards as Corum had 171 and Haskins finished with 155.
The Wolverines lost their identity last season and now, they have found it again, and it’s going to be running the ball and being physical — not for the faint at heart.
Vastardis, O-Line deserve major kudos
I know we already talked about the running game and how dominant it was, but the offensive line was so good it deserves some recognition of its own.
You just can’t say enough good things about how the Wolverines have played up front. Jim Harbaugh has talked about all the bodies they have and it showed.
But the guy who has stood out the most is center Andrew Vastardis, who honestly is the most improved player on the team.
Last season, he wasn’t good enough. He’s a former walk-on and was never gifted with athleticism, but he’s improved immensely and is executing the kinds of blocks he wasn’t before — pulling and sealing — it’s a thing of beauty if you appreciate O-line play.
Vastardis always had the smarts and the leadership. He had great qualities for a center but now, the physical part is there too. He won the job this offseason and you can see why. Hell, if he keeps playing like this, he’s going to find his way into the NFL. No Joke.
And Vastardis is surrounded by studs. Zak Zinter and Trevor Keegan are maulers. Ryan Hayes and Andrew Stueber are damn fine in the running game too and even though Michigan didn’t make the fourth-and-goal (despite the fact the ball clearly crossed the plane), I loved the call.
I also loved going for it on 4th down, up 14 on your own side of the field. Harbaugh has confidence in his running game and he should, not only because he’s got elite running backs, but a pretty good offensive line too.
Corum is a star
Yes, a lot of this post so far is dedicated to the running game, but did you watch the game last night? That was the storyline. Another was the continued rise of Blake Corum.
I don’t want to diminish Haskins at all, because he ran like a man possessed last night, and truthfully, he always does, which is what I love most about him.
90 percent of the time, Haskins gains an extra yard or two just by being physical. He’s the thunder of the thunder-and-lightning combo.
The other part of the combo is Corum and he’s pure electricity.
It was his 67-yard touchdown run that broke the game open for Michigan football. Yes, there was a huge alley, but his speed still made the difference. He’s just tremendous in terms of making guys miss and his receiving skills make him incredibly dangerous.
In terms of skill guys, Corum and Haskins are the top two on this offense right now and it’s not even close. But there’s no doubt in mind the best player on offense this season has been Blake Corum who in two games has five touchdowns and 282 rushing yards.
It sounds like those Mike Hart comparisons were legit.
Hutch, defense deliver
During Big Ten Media Days, both Aidan Hutchinson and Josh Ross talked about how Michigan football needed to get right. They essentially said they were embarrassed by the 2020 season.
Well in the first big game of 2021, Hutchinson and Ross were Michigan’s best defenders.
Hutchinson was a man amongst boys. He was credited with 2.5 sacks, as well as 2.5 tackles for loss, and was exceptional too in terms of setting the edge. Ross had 11 tackles total, which led the team, he also had three pressures and was effective blitzing all night.
The defensive line also played really well. Chris Hinton had a couple of penalties (personal fouls) but outside of that, he and Mazi Smith, as well as Kris Jenkins owned the interior.
Daxton Hill was another key part of the run defense and Brad Hawkins, who forced a fumble, was all over the place and also made a key deflection on another fourth-down stop.
The defense forced just one turnover but held the Huskies to 8 of 21 on third/fourth-down conversions and forced a number of three-and-outs. It also took 37 passing attempts for UW to reach 293 yards.
After two games, DC Mike Macdonald looks like a great hire and it also looks like Michigan football has rediscovered how to play an imposing style of defense.
What’s the significance?
I don’t care that Washington wasn’t ranked anymore in the top 25 and just lost to Montana. This was a national TV game against one of the best programs in the Pac-12.
Michigan football was also hosting its most important recruiting weekend of the Harbaugh era with more five-star recruits in Ann Arbor than any other school in the country.
Those recruits had to like what they saw. Not only did Michigan dominate on the field, but the crowd and the atmosphere were also off the charts — as were the all-blue uniforms.
For Harbaugh specifically, it seems like this reset has been a success. The new coaches have obviously made an impact, not only on the culture but with the X’s and O’s.
Jim also seems to have found his old fire.
Maybe it was everyone doubting him but he seems determined to prove that he’s an elite coach and that he can do what he set out to do at Michigan. And his team is responding.
After Saturday’s win, recruits are going to start responding too. Michigan football already had some momentum and after crushing Washington, it should continue to build.
More importantly, I think we can forget the idea of Michigan struggling to the point of Harbaugh being fired this season and that stability is only going to aid recruiting efforts.
Big picture, this team reminds me of the 2015 Wolverines and while there are issues that need to be resolved at quarterback, at least in terms of the overall ceiling, sit back and enjoy, Michigan football fans, this team is going to be fun to watch.