The Wolverine

December 2016

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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30 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2016 onship team in 1997 had one player, Chris Howard, who picked up most of the yardage on the ground, finish- ing with 938 yards. Drevno has four tailbacks (plus several other part-time rushers, like McDoom and Peppers) averaging more than Howard's 4.7 yards per carry, and he's happy to divide the load between them. "Coaching in the NFL [which he did in San Francisco from 2011-13], you have a better understanding when you sit in those draft meetings what GMs and scouts are looking for," Drevno said. "You hear them talk and under- stand how important it is at that level to have a better awareness and appre- ciation about the health of somebody and making sure they have a bright future and a good career. "We love just spreading it around to different guys, and it helps them for the National Football League. In the NFL you don't want to take a guy that has a bunch of carries; they want a guy that's a little bit fresher. "I think it helps them. You don't want to hand off to a guy that's had a bunch of carries that's taken all of those hits." On top of that, it's working for the team. Michigan ranked 19th nation- ally at 236.3 yards per game after 10 contests, up dramatically from last year 's 158.2 yards per game (good for 84th), and each of the four leading backs has come up big at different times. Smith rushed for 87 yards, includ- ing a key 42-yard touchdown run, in a come-from-behind 45-28 win over Colorado, and eclipsed 100 in big vic- tories over Penn State and Maryland. Higdon went over 100 in back-to- back blowout wins over Illinois and Maryland, and the frosh Evans also notched 100-plus in victories over Hawai'i and Rutgers. Isaac, though, might have provided the biggest boost of the year when he went for 48 yards on eight carries against Wisconsin in a 14-7 win. The Wolverines were struggling to move the ball before he entered, and his play proved critical in helping Michi- gan remain undefeated. "Ideally you want to be the guy, but with the way things have worked, if you get a hot hand, you'll start roll- ing," Isaac said in October. "Situation- ally they'll play guys differently, but in practice every rep you roll. I don't think for us it's that big of a deal, and now … it's just what we're used to." SHARING THE WEALTH It's been a sacrifice for Smith, though he wasn't complaining follow- ing U-M's shellacking of Maryland. Smith ran for 114 yards and three scores against the Terps, but he was only at 121 carries through 10 games after logging 180 in 13 games last year. His 12.1 carries average, if it contin- ued, would leave him short of last year's pace (15.0 per game because he missed the Maryland contest). At the same time, he's much health- ier. He was playing through a foot injury and had missed one game in the first half of last season, but he re- mained the workhorse. "I was dealing with my foot last year," he said. "I was just trying to fight through that pain. I feel better. I'm loose, it's just relaxing to know you're not going to be taking all the hits." He only notched five carries in a 78-0 win over Rutgers, fumbling on his third carry. He carried only twice more and was responsible for 11 of Michigan's 481 yards, running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley opting to go with the younger backs. Michigan fifth-year senior tailback Drake Johnson will be a sixth-year senior next season if he has his way. Johnson, sidelined all year by what head coach Jim Harbaugh had been calling a "soft tissue" injury, decided Nov. 7 to spend the rest of the 2016 season rehabbing and to peti- tion for another year of eligibility in 2017. Johnson dressed for two games in October but not for contests at home against Illinois or at Michigan State. Har- baugh continued to say he was getting closer to return, but it never materialized. "I think we're going to have an opportu- nity for another year next year," Harbaugh said. "It was his idea. We talked about it — there were two options. "He just hasn't been able to get to the top gear. He's been able to get fast, but really reaching that high gear is where he hasn't quite got there. It's better not to push something that's not there." Johnson redshirted as a true freshman and missed the 2013 season after he tore his ACL on special teams in the first game of the year. He became a needed spark in the running game in 2014, rushing for 361 yards — including 74 and two touchdowns in a 42-28 loss at Ohio State — before rip- ping his ACL again in the fourth quarter of that game. His bad luck only got worse this year. He got run over by a forklift while stretch- ing on the track in the spring, and Har- baugh revealed Johnson's had a ham- string problem that has hindered him all season. His return next year will depend on an appeal to the NCAA, but U-M is confident he'll get it given his string of injuries. His presence could help provide leadership on what will be a younger team. "I'm trying to think about how many people I respect more than Drake John- son — it's not a very long list," Harbaugh said. "It's at the highest level when I think of him. He and I were friends right off the bat, and I have great respect for him as an athlete and a competitor." Johnson ran for 271 yards and four touchdowns last season and has racked up 641 career rush- ing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. — Chris Balas Drake Johnson Is Done For The Year And Will Petition For A Sixth Season Johnson has run for 641 yards and eight touchdowns while adding seven catches for 107 yards and two scores in his U-M career. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL

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