Michigan by the numbers: Blake Corum vs. Justice Haynes stats comparison

Michigan Wolverines football junior running back Justice Haynes is having a season worthy of Heisman Trophy discussion, just like former U-M ball-carrier Blake Corum did back in 2022. Corum suffered a knee injury and essentially missed the final six quarters of the regular season, and Haynes has already missed one game this year, so there are some parallels in multiple regards.

Corum finished seventh in Heisman voting in 2022, before placing ninth in 2023. Haynes could find himself in the top 10 if he remains healthy and productive, but he did appear to have an injury in the 31-20 win over Michigan State last weekend. If that forces him to miss time, it’ll hurt his chances.

Appearing in 12 games in 2022, Corum earned unanimous All-America honors and rushed for 1,463 yards (eighth-most in Michigan history) on 247 attempts, tying for third in program history with 18 rushing touchdowns.

Through seven contests, the amount of games Haynes has appeared in this season, Corum had already gone over 900 yards. He rushed 146 times for 901 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Not far off by any stretch, Haynes has 121 carries for 857 yards and 10 scores, but it’s worth noting that he missed the final two-plus quarters of the loss at USC Oct. 11.

Where Haynes does have Corum edged out is yards per carry — 7.1 to 6.2 — and he’s slightly less of a bell cow than the former Michigan back was back then. With more carries, it’s fair to assume Haynes could be much higher or have surpassed Corum’s totals.

It’s also worth mentioning that Corum had three games against Group of Five opponents compared to Haynes’ two, which on one hand lessens the level of competition but also the workload. If the Wolverines were in more tight games, Corum may have had more opportunities and, thus, increased production. Nothing is an apples-to-apples comparison, including this look at the two great backs, of course.

Justice Haynes first seven appearances in 2025
Game	Carries	Yards	Average	Touchdowns
New Mexico	16	159	9.9	3
Oklahoma	19	125	6.6	1
Central Michigan	14	104	7.4	1
Nebraska	17	149	8.8	1
Wisconsin	19	117	6.2	2
USC	10	51	5.1	0
Michigan State	26	152	5.8	2
Total	121	857	7.1	10

Blake Corum first seven appearances in 2022
Game	Carries	Yards	Average	Touchdowns
Colorado State	13	76	5.8	1
Hawaii	9	88	9.8	1
Connecticut	12	71	5.9	5
Maryland	30	243	8.1	2
Iowa	29	133	4.6	1
Indiana	25	124	5.0	1
Penn State	28	166	5.9	2
Total	146	901	6.2	13

Haynes has also caught 13 passes for 50 yards, while Corum had hauled in 7 grabs for 35 yards during the first seven games of their respective seasons.

By the numbers: Michigan vs. Purdue

Minus-11 Turnover margin for Purdue, the worst mark in the Big Ten and tied for the third-worst figure in the country. Purdue has forced 5 turnovers compared to giving the ball away 16 times. Michigan is winning the turnover battle, 15-6, this season, the eighth-best mark in the NCAA.

14-Straight Big Ten losses for Purdue. The Boilermakers’ last conference win was a 35-31 victory over Indiana Nov. 25, 2023. Purdue’s most recent Big Ten road win was a 30-16 win over Indiana Nov. 26, 2022, two head coaches ago, under Jeff Brohm, who’s in his third season at Louisville.

29 Passing plays of 20-plus yards for Purdue opponents, with that mark checking in tied for 116th in the country for the Boilermakers defense. Additionally, they’re tied for 131st by giving up 18 passes of 30-plus yards. Purdue has given up 13 completions on throws of 20-plus air yards, the second-most in the Big Ten (Rutgers, 16).

35-Percent pressure rate for the Purdue pass rush, ranking 60th in the country and 10th in the Big Ten, according to Sports Info Solutions. The Boilermakers average 2.3 sacks per game. Purdue has really struggled to get pressure without blitzing, though, doing so on only 29.9 percent of dropbacks — 14th in the Big Ten.

47-14 Is Michigan’s advantage in the all-time series with Purdue, with the Wolverines winning 37 of the last 43 games. Coming in No. 21 in the AP poll this week, the Wolverines have a 33-5 record against Purdue when in the top 25.

70th Or worse is where Purdue slots in every major statistical category on offense — 70th in total offense (387.8 yards per game), 101st in scoring offense (22.9 points), 86th in rushing offense (141.6 yards) and tied for 56th in passing offense (246.1 yards).

75th Or worse is where the Boilermakers rank in the FBS in all major statistical categories on defense — 98th in total defense (394.6 yards per game), 93rd in scoring defense (27.8 points), 75th in rushing defense (149 yards) and 106th in passing defense (245.6 yards).

2023 National championship game (Jan. 8, 2024) was the last time Michigan had two 100-plus yard rushers in a game until Justice Haynes (152 yards) and sophomore Jordan Marshall (133) did so in the 31-20 win over Michigan State last week.

2028 Is the next time Michigan is scheduled to play at Purdue. Oddly enough, the Wolverines and Boilermakers haven’t squared off on the gridiron at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette since a 28-10 Wolverine win Sept. 23, 2017. Since then, Michigan has faced the Boilermakers twice, in the 2022 Big Ten title game (43-22 win) and Nov. 4, 2023, at The Big House (41-13 win).