Can Michigan win the rushing battle?
This is a legit question. Oklahoma nearly out-rushed Michigan in the second game of the season. USC had more than double the rushing yards of the Wolverines 224-109.
As disappointing as it was, Michigan football couldn't stop power. It couldn't tackle and didn't do a good job of fitting gaps in the run game. The same was true for the Wisconsin game.
Jedd Fisch and the Huskies might have a reputation for being pass-happy, yet they rush for 188 yards per game. Jonah Coleman leads the Big Ten in rushing touchdowns (11), has 518 total yards (86.3 per game) and averages 5.4 yards per attempt. He's also got 247 receiving yards.
Washington has a stout run defense, allowing just 3.1 yards per attempt and 82.8 yards per game. Whether Haynes is back or not, Michigan needs to have more rushing yards, by a decent margin, if it wants to get back in the win column on Saturday.