73 days until Michigan football: CJ Stokes in the middle of a talented, crowded running back room
There’s much anticipation heading into the Michigan Wolverines football season, and TheWolverine.com is counting down the days until the Sept. 2 opener against East Carolina. We’ll discuss current Michigan events, the upcoming season and/or take a look at a significant number that correlates with how many days remain until kickoff, whether it be a player’s jersey number, a year, a date, a score, etc.
Michigan sophomore running back CJ Stokes ran for 273 yards last season, serving as the Wolverines’ seldom-used third running back for most of the season. He wasn’t needed much due to the team having two standouts in front of him in senior Blake Corum and junior Donovan Edwards.
Stokes showed flashes when given the opportunity, though, mostly in mop-up duty early on in the season. He ran for 35 yards on 6 carries against Colorado State, 61 yards and a touchdown (his only score of the season) on 8 rushes versus Hawai’i and 18 yards on 8 attempts in the UConn game.
Michigan was without Edwards for the Big Ten opener versus Maryland, thrusting Stokes into the backup job. Corum was carrying a heavy load early in the game, and Stokes was given a handoff with the game tied at 10-10 and the Wolverines driving at the Maryland 25-yard line. He coughed it up, and the Terrapins recovered, adding some drama to a first half that was anything but smooth.
Stokes didn’t appear in the next two games, though Michigan running backs coach and run game coordinator Mike Hart said it didn’t have to do with the fumble. Edwards getting healthy played a part. It was clear, though, that some trust was lost and it was a reminder that he’s just a freshman.
Stokes had another big moment late in the year. He ran for 68 yards on 8 rushes in a 34-3 win over Nebraska, once again flashing his promise.
Coming into this season, Michigan’s running back room is just as talented at the top — even more so, actually — and much deeper.
“I think we’re really deep,” Hart said after Michigan’s spring game. “I definitely feel a lot better this time of year than I did last year. We’ve got a lot of depth. The guys are gonna compete, and it’s gonna go into fall camp, but definitely feel really good about the running back room right now with the depth that we have and the guys who can play.”
Stokes is in contention for the third running back spot, which likely won’t receive much playing time if Corum and Edwards stay healthy. Senior Kalel Mullings and freshmen Cole Cabana and Benjamin Hall are also competing.
The 10-10 tie
We can’t think of the 1973 Michigan football season without the 10-10 tie against Ohio State immediately coming to mind. Since the Maize and Blue didn’t come out on top at The Big House, it was left to an athletic directors’ vote to determine who went to the Rose Bowl. Typically, the nod would have gone to the team that hadn’t gone the year before (Ohio State did in 1972), but this wasn’t a typical situation.
Michigan lost the vote, 6-4, and was shut out of a bowl game. In 1975, the Big Ten began sending four teams to the postseason.
“I am bitterly resentful at the way this thing was handled,” Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler said at the time.
Michigan football countdown to kickoff
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