Offense notes: Michigan unapologetic about identity, but teases new wrinkles

Michigan football had another one of its patented casual blowouts on Saturday afternoon, running the Nebraska Cornhuskers off the field by a margin of 34-3. The run game, which has been a constant throughout the year, ruled the day once again with 264 yards. Some angst still remains over the passing attack, which had 148 yards through the air.

Still, it was another dominant effort. The Wolverines gashed Nebraska for 6 yards per play, and also teased some new wrinkles offensively. We saw a quarterback sweep on the goal line. Michigan tried to dial up some more deep passes. Play action was more of a focus.

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The execution was not always perfect. In fact, one would argue there was still plenty of meat left on the bone. But head coach Jim Harbaugh was happy to put some different looks on film.

“I thought we did show some different things today,” he said in his postgame press conference. “We got down in the red zone, and J.J. scored on the quarterback sweep. During that play, Blake Corum was great on a block. Tremendous block by him. Got a wide-open Ronnie Bell also in the end zone.” 

Michigan ran the ball 49 times on Saturday compared to only 20 pass attempts. J.J. McCarthy was 8-for-17 for 129 yards and a pair of touchdowns. There were still some missed throws, and not enough opportunities to get him in rhythm. Harbaugh acknowledged that.

“Yeah … I mean, that’s valid,” he said. “You balance it, when you’re getting five yards a carry, six yards a carry it’s tough to just say, ‘let’s throw it.’ But put it on me. I’ll take accountability that the pass stats weren’t higher than they were and be happy to be 10-0 and move on to Illinois.”

Michigan thinks passing game success is close

Everyone is fixated on McCarthy and the wide receivers getting on the same page. When you are as good and dominant as Michigan is, the performances are ripe for nitpicking. But there is another gear Michigan wants to find offensively, and moving the ball through the air is a priority.

“I think we’re really close,” graduate wideout Ronnie Bell said. “Just more reps. We need more reps — we need more practice reps, before practice, after practice — and just gotta get on the same page. Today, I felt like we were as close as we’ve ever been to getting those plays completed. So we just need more reps, man.”

Corum will take the ball anytime the coaching staff asks him to, but even he is encouraging sticking with throwing the football in hopes the plays start to snowball. He has a vote of confidence with where things are headed.

“We practice it. We’re hitting. I tell them, keep doing it,” Corum said. “Don’t stop. Don’t stop throwing the deep ball, just because J.J. overthrew it, or someone dropped it. Why stop? It’s going to hit.

“That’s like me getting hit in the backfield and saying I’m going to stop running. No, I’m going to keep going. Don’t stop throwing the ball. It’s going to connect. We practice. We practice really hard. It’s going to come. You all just watch.”

Blake Corum continues blistering pace

Michigan is comfortable with putting whatever it needs to on Corum’s shoulders. That said, a bit of a lighter workload would not have been the worst thing in the world. Saturday’s game did not provide that opportunity.

Sophomore Donovan Edwards was banged up early and had only a pair of carries, making it another week where Corum had to be leaned on. He finished the day with 28 carries for 162 yards and a touchdown, his 17th rushing score of the year and 18th overall.

Tired? Not a chance in the world.

“I always go into each game wanting the ball,” Corum said. “Want it as many times as they’re going to give it to me. I expected a good amount. It ended up I got the ball a good amount of times, so I’m happy.

“I could play a whole other season. I’m feeling good, feeling great. I feel like I just continue to get better. I treat my body really good. Feel great, man. I’m ready to go.”

Michigan has been a bit one-dimensional offensively in recent weeks, but it has not mattered. It has an elite offensive line and a Heisman candidate in Corum. Nebraska did everything it could to slow it down, but was on the wrong side of a gritty effort from the Wolverines.

“They’re definitely packing the box, 100 percent,” Corum said. “But I have the best offensive line in the country. They dominate up front. My tight ends dominate, the receivers dominate. When everyone is dominating, it allows me to have success, find those match-ups and really run hard.

“Today there was no long ones, but it was gritty. It was gritty for sure. A lot of runs up the middle, and a lot of success.”

Miscellaneous Michigan football offensive notes

– Michigan has scored on its opening drive in 8 of 10 games this season. Six of the 8 scores have been touchdowns, 4 of them courtesy of Blake Corum.

– U-M is outscoring teams 117-3 in the second half of its last 5 games.

– Freshman tight end Colston Loveland had a career-long reception of 28 yards in the win.

– Saturday’s 162 yards rushing marked the 10th time in Corum’s career he has gone over 100 yards and the seventh consecutive game of that variety. Running backs coach Mike Hart had 8-straight 100+ yard games during his senior season at U-M in 2007.

– Corum’s 17 rushing touchdowns on the year ties him for fifth on the all-time single-season rushing touchdown list at U-M.

– Corum also ranks 17th in single-season rush yards at U-M and has 1,349 in 10 games. He passed former teammate Hassan Haskins on Saturday night.

– Freshman running back CJ Stokes had a career-high 68 rush yards in the victory.