71 days until Michigan football: Wolverines dominant at the line of scrimmage in 2022
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.
Games are won and lost at the line of scrimmage, the old saying goes, and it’s been true for Michigan football under head coach Jim Harbaugh. It was especially the case in 2022, when the Maize and Blue were dominant both running the ball and stopping the run. In the Big Ten as much as anywhere, that’s a proven formula.
Michigan ran for 3,345 yards last season, ranking third in the country, and allowed only 1,371 rushing yards, slotting 13th. That’s right — opponents totaled well short of half the amount of rushing yards Michigan did a year ago.
On offense, Michigan averaged 5.6 yards per carry, the third-highest mark in program history, trailing only 1976 (5.9) and 1992 (5.7). Opponents, on the other hand, gained only 3.3 yards per attempt.
Offensively, Michigan leaned on Heisman Trophy contender Blake Corum at the running back spot. He finished seventh in voting for the sport’s most prestigious individual award, but that was with playing in only 10 full games. His days were cut short due to a season-ending knee injury versus both Illinois and Ohio State, and he missed the final two games against Purdue and TCU.
Corum ran for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns on 247 carries. Donovan Edwards, a sophomore at the time, churned out 991 yards and 7 touchdowns on 140 attempts. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy racked up 306 yards and 5 scores on the ground. They all ran behind a Joe Moore Award winning offensive line.
Defensively, Wolverines ranked first in the Big Ten and seventh nationally against the rush, allowing only 97.9 yards per game. Seven of 14 opponents were held to single-digit rushing yards totals (99 or fewer). For context, Michigan ranked 27th in rushing defense the year prior, but only three opponents were limited to 99 yards or fewer.
Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins — now a senior — led the way in stopping the run. His 40 run-play tackles led the team and the nation’s interior defensive linemen, per PFF.
Here’s a look at Michigan’s leaders in run-play tackling last season:
| Player | Run-Play Tackles |
| Kris Jenkins | 40 |
| Mazi Smith | 34 |
| Junior Colson | 31 |
| Michael Barrett | 31 |
| Rod Moore | 21 |
| Mason Graham | 18 |
| Jaylen Harrell | 13 |
| Makari Paige | 12 |
| Mike Sainristil | 12 |
All but one of Michigan’s top nine run stuffers last season are still on the roster in 2023. However, a big piece is missing, with Mazi Smith a first-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys.
Offensively, three starters on the offensive line, Corum, Edwards and McCarthy have also returned. There’s no reason why Michigan shouldn’t be able to establish the run again this fall.
Michigan football countdown to kickoff
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