This week was the first week of Big 10 play for the Wolverines, and they did not disappoint picking up the win 34-27 over the Maryland Terrapins. The real story this week, however, was Blake Corum. Just one week removed from his five-touchdown performance against UCONN, Corum showed up against the Terrapins, rushing 30 times for 243 yards and two touchdowns.
Can a Running Back Really Win the Heisman?
While it certainly is not easy to win a Heisman as a running back with the number of times teams have been throwing the ball in recent years, it is not unprecedented for a running back to take the award home. However, in Henry’s Heisman campaign he ran for 2219 yards and 28 touchdowns, meaning Corum would likely need similar numbers over the season to compete for the award. Through four games Corum has 478 yards and nine touchdowns. These stats put him on pace to finish the regular season with 1,434 yards and 27 touchdowns. While those numbers would amount to a great season, it would likely not put him in the conversation to win the trophy.
What Would Need to Happen to put Corum in the Race?
Production. Corum would need to produce at an extremally high level from the rest of the season. Corum would need to have more games like this one where he is carrying the ball at a high rate. However, the game against the Terrapins was the first one of the season where he carried the ball more than 12 times. While Corum’s stats thus far are impressive, more than half his yards and more than half of his touchdowns both came in one game. If the Wolverines have more games in which they give Corum a vast majority of the touches and he is able to produce like he did against the Terrapins, there is a chance that Corum could compete for the Heisman come end of the year.
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