Michigan positional breakdown: Running backs

By Bart Doan  |   Friday, July 10, 2009  |  Comments( 0 )

Michigan Wolverines
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Last week, Michigan’s wide receiver corps -- arguably the weakest unit on the team -- was covered. Well, running backs are at the completely opposite end of the spectrum. This is the unit that is expected to carry the Wolverines’ young offense this season.

The main cast: Brandon Minor, Michael Shaw, Vincent Smith, Carlos Brown, Mark Moundros

What happened last year: It was a weird, whirlwind campaign for the position. Super freshman Sam McGuffie was given the green light as the starter from Day 1 and showed signs of immense promise against Notre Dame, rumbling for 138 yards in the loss. As quickly as he rose, though, he fell. Originally, he was hurt against Toledo and was never a factor at any point the rest of the season. He wound up transferring.

Minor surprisingly stepped up in a major way. For a guy who was inexplicably passed over and has dealt with fumbling problems since he arrived on campus, Minor stepped up to be a team leader both statistically and in the locker room. He has said repeatedly that this year's team is his to lead. He had a breakout game against Penn State and never stopped running until an injury hampered his playing time late in the season. He still had the types of breathtaking runs that you need from a No. 1 back.

Brown also battled injury, but he is healthy for the first summer of his Michigan career. Late in the season, Shaw -- not McGuffie -- took over as coach Rich Rodriguez’s freshman of choice when Minor and Brown were struggling with injuries. He also showed major promise and burst.

Considering that Michigan routinely faced eight and nine defenders in the box with an inexperienced offensive line and the that every featured back seemed to be injured at one point or another, it’s hard to really lay much blame on the running game as a whole.

What to expect: This is probably the most exciting unit on the team if you’re looking for any semblance of guaranteed success. Minor has the skills to be an all-conference-type running back. Expect him in heavy doses and if Michigan wins a lot of games, expect him to be the main reason.

Brown actually has been incredibly solid in the rare sections where he’s been healthy over his career. No one will forget when he burst on the scene against Illinois in Mike Hart’s stead two years ago during a Wolverines upset. Still, he’s one of those “keep your fingers crossed” types, as he always seems to suffer odd injuries.

Shaw is a different animal. He really showed major potential last year, but he’s listed in the media guide as a wide receiver position switch. He sat out spring practice and Rodriguez has not commented on the situation. The consensus is, though, that he’s so electric that the staff just wants the ball in his hands any way they can get it there. Don’t read much into the listed switch. Shaw right now still looks like the running back of the future. The problem is that he’s talented but buried on the depth chart.

The wild card is Smith, who’s been drawing rave reviews from media and teammates about his blazing speed, toughness to bring down, and vision. Lightly recruited because of his diminutive size (he’s 5-foot-6 in cleats. . . maybe), the coaching staff admits Smith is too good to not see the field early and often during his freshman season. In other words, even with a solid depth chart, he’s too talented to red shirt. That says it all. Moundros is the resident fullback on the roster, and Rodriguez is known to sprinkle in some sets with the traditional fullback as a key player.

Outlook: So much of the running back position relies on players other than the RB. For instance, the offensive line never gelled last year on any level, and the passing game never got off the ground, leaving all the defensive pressure looking for the ground game. The line should be better, if only because the blockers are more seasoned and that will have a trickle-down effect on the backs. This is a very underrated unit filled with experienced producers in Minor and Brown as well as proven young talent in Shaw. Then, there is a guy like Smith, who will have the benefit of not being thrown into any position he’s not ready for but has a different ability than the others. Like a good staff at any business, all the running backs contribute something different, from Minor’s leadership and power to Smith’s blazing speed. That’s the key to any success at a position. You need guys capable of filling multiple roles when needed. Power running doesn’t work on everyone, nor does giving it to the fastest guy and having him turn the corner. This unit will lead the Wolverines’ offense and will be the focus of what the opponent is planning against. In other words, this is the strongest position on the offense for 2009. Expect surprisingly good things.
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About Bart Doan

Bart has been with Realfootball365.com for about six months and thoroughly enjoys writing for the site. He has been featured for his writings on college football in The Sporting News, The Indianapolis Star, Sports Illustrated, and on CBS Sportsline.com. When he's not drowning himself in the...
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