CFP: Analyzing the Rushing Attacks of Georgia and Michigan before the Capital One Orange Bowl

Top-notch running backs lead Michigan and Georgia in tonight's Orange Bowl.

Author:
Marc Miceli
Publish date:
Dec 31, 2021 7:34 AM EST

On New Year’s Eve, the No. 2 ranked Michigan Wolverines and the No. 3 ranked Georgia Bulldogs will play in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Both these teams have great defenses that have been pests to opposing offenses as Georgia is ranked first in scoring defense and Michigan is ranked fourth.

With two high-power defenses, we could be in store for a similar matchup. Georgia had to open up its season as they beat the Clemson Tigers 10 to 3, thanks in large part to a 74-yard interception return for a touchdown by senior defensive back Christopher Smith. As both of these teams prepare this week, here are some key points about each teams’ rushing attacks.

Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia’s running backs have had success at the next level including the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker, Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb, and young up-and-coming D’Andre Swift of the Detroit Lions. This season, the Bulldogs’ rushing attack is led by junior running back Zamir White and senior James Cook (brother of Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook), lead the Bulldog’s rushing attack, which is ranked 32nd.

White and Cook are two very different types of running backs as White is 6'0", 215-pounds and is more of a power back and has the build to one day be a workhorse in the NFL. Cook is more of a speedster as he is 5'11", 190-pounds and at the next level we may see him lineup at wide receiver at times similar to how Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back Travis Etienne was going to be utilized before his injury. They also are great complements to one another as each of them plays unique roles in the game plan each week.

Zamir White

Coming out of high school in the Class of 2018, White was a the No. 1 ranked running back in the country that year.

White did not see much playing time in his first season as Georgia also had current Detroit Lions running back D’Andre Swift who received the bulk of carries. After Swift declared for the NFL Draft, White would step up and lead the Bulldogs rushing attack as a sophomore. This season, not much changed as White finished as the Bulldogs’ lead rusher again with 718 yards, 10 touchdowns, averaging 5.3 yards per rush. His best game of the season came against the Florida Gators, where he broke free for a 42-yard touchdown run to extend their lead and they ended up winning 34-7.

James Cook

Cook grew up in Miami and played at Miami Central, so this game is a homecoming for him. Similar to White, Cook was also recruited by the Bulldogs in 2018, who was the third-ranked running back nationally. Being the brother of NFL All-Pro Dalvin Cook sure gave James big shoes to fill.

However, in an interview with the Athens Banner-Herald in 2020, Dalvin said when speaking about James, “I’ve got big expectations for him, bigger shoes than anybody can imagine for him and he can imagine for himself. He knows how hard I am on him, how hard I push him. I think he’s just scratching the surface of the things you’re going to see.” This is high praise coming from one of the NFL’s best and they have trained together in the off season.

Cook was not used a lot during his time at Georgia, which is great for the potential longevity of his NFL career as he only has 218 career rushes and accumulated 14 touchdowns. This season, he went from receiving 45 rushes to 101 and he made the most of his touches finishing with seven rushing touchdowns. Against the Josh Heupel-led Tennessee Volunteers, Cook led the Bulldogs with 10 carries for 104 yards with two rushing touchdowns and added three receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown.

Michigan Wolverines

Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines, have the 10th-best rushing offense and are led by senior Hassan Haskins and sophomore Blake Corum. Just like how Georgia has two great running backs, both Haskins and Corum complement each other very well with Haskins, who is 6'1", 220-pounds, being utilized as a power back. Corum is used more as a speedster at 5'8", 200-pounds, who could also be a threat in the Wolverines passing game as well in the College Football Playoffs.

Hassan Haskins

Growing up in Eureka, Missouri, Haskins was not heavily recruited coming out of high school in the class of 2018. He was listed as a three-star recruit with offers from schools like Michigan, Memphis, Purdue, Western Kentucky, and Eastern Michigan.

Ultimately, Haskins committed to the Wolverines and was a redshirt freshman. During that year, he was asked to play linebacker but he would eventually transition back to a running back. Back in 2019, Haskins said that his time as a linebacker gave himself “a better vision of the running lanes" and helped him become more comfortable. He said he can now see how offense and defense "add up" and can tell what opposing defenses are trying to do.”

Fast-forward to this past season, and Haskins was the Wolverines lead rusher finishing with 261 rushes for 1,288 yards and 20 touchdowns (which led the Big Ten). In four games this season, he had more than 150 yards rushing which all came in Michigan wins. His best game was against the Ohio State Buckeyes, who had no answer for Haskins.

He finished the day with his career-high in both rushing yards and touchdowns with 28 rushes for 169 yards and 5 touchdowns. Four out of his five touchdowns came in the second half, to help the Wolverines close out the Buckeyes.

Blake Corum

Coming from St. Frances Academy, which was recently ranked as the fourth-best high school team in the country by MaxPreps, Corum was a four-star recruit in the 2020 class who had offers from universities like Michigan, Georgia, and Michigan State. During his first year with the Wolverines, he did not see much playing time, receiving 26 rushes last season, but that number would nearly quintuple with as this season he had 141 rushes.

He finished this season with 939 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. Corum also added 22 receptions for 143 yards and one touchdown. His best game was against the Washington Huskies, where he had 21 rushes for 171 yards and three touchdowns.

In the past two games, he only received 11 rushing attempts, but Corum would make the most of the opportunities. He recorded a 55 yard run against Ohio State which set up Haskins’ 13-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. When the Wolverines took on the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Championship, he scored the team’s first touchdown, breaking loose for a 67-yard touchdown run.

Establishing the running game early should be a priority for both the Bulldogs and Wolverines as that will only help open up their respective passing attacks.

You will find me on Twitter @MarcMiceli_