Another Reason Why Hassan Haskins Is The Man
Hassan Haskins has been nothing short of spectacular all season, but especially over the last several weeks. With sophomore running back Blake Corum nursing an ankle injury, Haskins took over. The senior running back carried the ball 123 times for 627 yards and 10 touchdowns over the last five games. Of course, that stretch included the five touchdown performance against Ohio State, which definitely cemented his legacy at U-M.
Not only has Haskins been dynamic and extremely effective in terms of production, he's been a huge part of U-M's second half success because of his ability to get stronger as the game goes on. He's also been extremely reliable, which you kind of forget about unless it's an issue. According to Pro Football Focus, Haskins has carried the ball 443 times since 2019 without fumbling the ball. That's the best mark in all of college football over that stretch of time.
Because of how Michigan plays, that is a massively important statistic. Throw in the fact that quarterback Cade McNamara only threw four interceptions and you start to understand why Michigan was so successful this season.
Earlier this fall, Corum seemed like the more complete, dynamic back, and the carries reflected that. However, down the stretch, when Michigan needed him most, Haskins rose to the challenge in a huge way. Per PFF, Haskins' efforts down the stretch allowed him to finish the season as the highest-graded running back in the Big Ten.
And looks who's at No. 2. Michigan got 2,227 yards and 31 touchdowns out of Haskins and Corum. Those are truly incredible numbers considering how Michigan's rushing attack looked last year. Running backs coach Mike Hart, offensive line coach Sherrone Moore and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis deserve a ton of credit for how the offense operated, but Corum and especially Haskins are the true stars of the show.
