Michigan's Blake Corum Runs Wild On Western Michigan

It was an impressive outing for the sophomore running back in Michigan's home opener against Western Michigan.

The Michigan Wolverines dominated Western Michigan on Saturday by a score of 47-14 in the 2021 season opener.

Though several Wolverines made big plays throughout the afternoon, sophomore running back Blake Corum had himself a day. On his first carry of the afternoon, Corum sprinted for an 18 yard gain - nearly breaking free and finding the endzone.  That first carry would be a sign of things to come, as Corum spent the better part of the afternoon making big play after big play.

Corum led all rushers with 111 yards and 1 touchdown on 14 carries on the ground, along with 22 receiving yards and another touchdown. He also managed to do significant damage on special teams, finishing with 79 total yards on kick off returns. In total, Corum finished the afternoon with a game high 212 all-purpose yards and 2 touchdowns.

Corum's performance on Saturday was a phenomenal display of speed, athleticism and versatility - the type of package that Michigan hasn't had at the running back position in quite some time. While the performance was impressive, it also shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who has followed his career closely. In fact, Michigan running backs coach Mike Hart says he'd still be playing in the NFL if he had the type of talent that Corum has.

“He works a lot harder. I think that the best (comparison) - size-wise, yes,” Hart said during a recent press conference. “Blake’s a lot faster than me, a lot quicker than me. If I was that fast, I’d probably still be playing in the NFL.”

“He’s a great kid, but I think his mentality and the way he does things, the way he approaches the game is really similar to the way I did,” Hart said. “He doesn’t like making mistakes, he’s not happy when he makes mistakes. He wants to be perfect. And that’s something that reminds me of myself from that standpoint.”

Up next, Corum and the Wolverines will clash with No. 20 Washington on Saturday night for a primetime matchup in the Big House at 8:00 pm on ABC.