The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast - Michigan RB Blake Corum & Breaking Down Michigan-Michigan State's Run Games

Episode Date: October 28, 2021

On this week's Breaking the Huddle, Joel Klatt talks to Michigan's Blake Corum about the matchup against the Spartans, and his relationship with RB Hassan Haskins. Joel also goes through his Top 10 Rankings, and breaks down what's working on Michigan and Michigan State's offense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's up everybody? Welcome into breaking the huddle. Another week of college football. I am your host, Joel Klatt. This show, as always, is brought to you by Dr. Pepper. It is the one fans deserve. All right, lots to get into. My top 10, my almost top 10. We're going to take a look at Michigan and Michigan State. What makes their run games different and great all at the same time. We'll talk with Blake Corum running back from Michigan in preparation for that huge matchup between the Spartan. of the Wolverines and then maybe we'll get to some social media stuff at the end. But let's start with my top 10 and the teams that almost made my top 10. Okay, Oklahoma State after that loss, they dipped out. Pittsburgh. I see you coming with Kenny Pickett. Notre Dame wins again, Kentucky off of that loss to Georgia after the off week. They're still sitting there right outside of the top 10. So what does it look like inside of my top 10?

Well, we're going to start at the bottom with Iowa. Iowa is going to sit in there. They're six and one after the off week. They've got Wisconsin this week in a game in which they are actually dogs, so we'll see if they can stay there. As we continue to move up, Ole Miss is going to be number nine. Lane Kiffin's got it going down there. Listen, I love Matt Corral. I like a lot of things that they're doing. At number eight, this is where some of the surprises are going to creep up. I've got Cincinnati at eight. I moved them way down, and I'll tell you why in just a moment.

At number seven, I've got Oregon. Oregon staying up there after some of these close wins. That win against UCLA was terrific in the Rose Bowl. At number six, I've got Michigan State a little higher than what the AP has for Mel Tucker's group. At number five, I have got Oklahoma. They're moving down after that poor performance against Kansas. At number four, I've got Michigan. That was an easy win against Northwestern. At number three, I've got Alabama.

Two, I've got Ohio State. I'm sure I'm going to have to talk about that a little bit because that's on the way up for Ryan's A. And at number one, everybody knows that's going to be Georgia. Let's start with this. when I look at putting together the top 10, the first thing I do is I see a clear point of demarcation between three and everybody else. Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama, to me, when I watch them, are the three best teams in college football, regardless of what's going on with record or what happened on the field. Harts a little bit because I know that Oregon beat Ohio State,

and I'm a guy that believes that the game on the field has to matter. But as for right now, Ohio State's going to stay up there. Now, from four to nine, these are very interchangeable, and you've got to slot them in somewhere, and there's got to be some reason. Michigan, they've been dominant enough running the football. They're the number two scoring defense in the country, so they got the bump. Oklahoma continues to play one possession games and playing down to their opponent. They will play to their opponent level regardless of who they're playing.

down to number five. Michigan State, they stood right here at six. I still love what they're able to do. They're not great defending the past. That's one of the reasons I kind of knocked them down, or if you will, put them, slotted them at six. Oregon just continues to win, all right? And this is a team, although they lost to Stanford,

that is getting healthier and I think a little bit better. Anthony Brown is a guy that played his best game against UCLA. Kavon Thibodeau, his best game against UCLA. Cincinnati is a team that I don't see the domino. If you're going to play a schedule as poor as Cincinnati's, when you take a look at the overall landscape of college football, if you're going to play a group of five schedule,

you better dominate. I'm a big school snob. I'm sorry, I'm biased about that. You can't have a one possession win against Navy in which you're holding on after they get an onside kick. You know, and so from there, you know, that's kind of where it settles out. Now let me sit on Ohio State for just a moment. Ohio State right now is playing the second best football

in all of college football, okay? They were not good defensively to start the year. We all saw that in the loss against Oregon. But if you take a look at the way that they've evolved and what they've done to fix those problems, they are clearly right now the second most dangerous team in the country. In the last four games, Ohio State,

they're the second ranked scoring defense in the country and the second ranked yards per play defense in the country. Now, they have not faced a tough gamut during those four games, but the defense has clearly improved also in those four games. They're averaging over 50 points per game offensively. Since you had C.J. Strouds sit out because of his shoulder injury, he's come back in the last three.

He's thrown for over 340 yards a game in those three games, 14 touchdowns and no interceptions. Travion Henderson, almost 10 yards per carry. He scores a touchdown almost every six times he touches the ball. They've got the deepest and best receiving core in the country. Their offensive line is terrific. You see what I'm getting at. This team is starting to evolve into one of the most complete teams in the country.

So everyone's asking me, why in the world is Ohio State the number two team in the country? Because they're playing the second best football in the country. And that's why I have them right there. And I think also that playoff committee next week when we start looking at the college football playoff rankings, I think they're going to love Ohio State as well. And they'll also give Oregon a nice big bump. And we'll get into should head-to-head matter at some point during the course of the next few weeks. when we take a look at the college football playoff rankings as they start coming out next week and beyond.

Let's talk a little Michigan-Michigan State. Oh, cannot wait for this game, as we talked about there a little bit earlier. These two teams are built similarly, although not identical. Clearly, they're both running the football well. Michigan State has a leading rusher in the country. Michigan is one of the best rushing teams in all of the Big Ten Conference. But how do they do it? How do they get to the point where they're dominant in the run game?

Let's first look at the success that they're having. As I just mentioned here, Michigan, 253 yards per game. That's the top rushing team in the Big Ten, their fifth in the country. Michigan State, they feature Kenneth Walker. He leads college football with those 142 rushing yards per game. But that's where the similarities end, okay? Because the schematics are actually very different. Let's take a look, a peek under the hood, at what makes them so good.

of them. Let's start with Michigan, the Michigan run game. Now, while they do everything, so they'll run zone at times and they'll run pin and pull and it's mainly in terms of their success, their gap and their power schemes, okay? I'll explain it just a little more detailed in a moment. They're trying to overwhelm the defense by adding gaps to the play side. Now they also have a commitment to the run game in all situations, but let's first look at their ability to run these gap and power schemes. All right, let's take a look at what they're doing on the field. This is a lot. This is a lot of the game. This is a lot. This is a look at what they're doing on the field. This is. This is a lot. This is a lot. This is. This is a lot. This is. This is This is against Washington, okay? Washington is going to drop a safety in the box, so Washington technically has numbers. But what they're going to do here is on the play side, they're going to get movement on the defensive tackle. This is going to allow them to get up to the backside linebacker and have those two linemen block those two defensive players.

Now, if we roll this back just a little bit, here's what you're going to see. The center and the tight end are going to pull around. They're going to provide the extra gap. How? By kicking out the defensive end, and then the tight end can roll up in the middle and bang, that block is what Springs, Blake Corrin,

for a huge gain. The safety takes a bad track. Corum's too explosive. He gets to the outside, and he's gone. That's a gap scheme. That's a power scheme. They're pulling guys around to create those extra gaps. Let's take a look in another example of this. This was just last week against Northwestern. Different formation, but the same type of theory. You're going to pull the center, you're going to pull the tight end who's lined up as a fullback. But this one's a little bit different. You've got a hook by the center, then the tight end is what kicks out, and that's what creates the extra gap for this time, Hassan Haskins, who's able to get up for a touchdown.

So that's how they're running those gap and power schemes to dominate at the line of scrimmage. It's something that they've done very well to the tune of the fifth best rushing team in college football. Now, they also have what I would consider, an uncommon commitment to the run game. They rush the football in any given situation. The proof is in the pudding.

Third down and obvious. What are they doing? Let's take a look at a snap against Nebraska. Now, Nebraska is going to have two safeties deep. Their walkout linebackers are going to be far walked out. That means they've only got six guys in the box. You've got six guys to block them. So how do you do that?

You kick out with the guards and you let the center and the tight end roll right up to the linebackers. Look at these blocks. They both put them on their back, and Blake Corum is able to run for the first down. Again, that was third and 10. But their commitment to the run game, they'll still hand the football off if the numbers

give them that opportunity. That's why they're so dominant in the run game. That's why Michigan can, even if you've got extra guys in the box, or even if it's third and 10, they're still going to take the ground game. Now, let's take a look at Michigan State. How is it different? Well, they run primarily a zone scheme.

This relies on creating defensive lateral movement and creating those little spaces for the back to exploit. So there's more decision-making from the back. It's less about his patience and timing and more about his vision. Let's take a look. at what happens when you're running these zone schemes. This is against Northwestern, okay?

So these five offensive linemen, they're going to start to create this lateral movement. The tight end's going to go back, and he's going to kick out that backside end, and the opposite tackle is going to try to get up to the back level, so that when you cover up up front, you cover up color, the back has this little cutback lane. He sees the lane, finds it, and he's able to exploit it, and it's a big gain for Kenneth Walker. Walker is explosive, he's great in his vision, he does a terrific job. Now, it's not just a little. the cutback though. They also can exploit front side. This is what front side zone looks like.

Okay? This is against Nebraska. Now the key is going to be this blocked by the front side guard. He's going to take this defensive tackle and just manhandle him back about five yards. That produces the front side hole and now the back, he occupies that front side hole and he can go and create a first down in a nice little run that way. So again, it's more about front side movement, about that zone lateral movement. If you get the front side hole, boom, you can exploit it. And if not, that cutback is still there. Now, they also, this is where the similarities end, and you've got more consistency between the two,

they also have this commitment to the run game where they'll rush the football in any given situation. Again, the proof is in the pudding. Let's take a look at a third and long. During the course of this year, this is against Miami. Miami's got six guys in the box. There's three over three on the outside. You can't block everybody, so you're going to try

to occupy this end with the quarterback. He doesn't do it great, but look at this. Kenneth Walker can still spin out and still get the first down. So there again, you got six guys in the box. You've got three over three on the left side. How do you take care of the unblocked defender with the read of the quarterback? He thinks that this guy's got width.

So he gives the ball to Kenneth Walker, and there's Walker spinning and running hard for a first down. So commitment to the run game in any given situation. So listen, they both are going to commit to the run game. We know that. but they're going to do it in different ways. The zone scheme for Michigan State, that gap and power scheme for Michigan, that's what you should be watching for on Saturday when these two Titans collide

in an undefeated top 10 matchup. It is the first, by the way, top 10 matchup between these schools since 1964, cannot wait to get up to East Lansing to see these two run games. Huge showdown this week in East Lansing. Michigan, Michigan State. Undefeated, 7 and 0 each, top 10 matchup. First time they've both been in the first time. the top 10 since 1964. To say everyone's ready to go is an understatement. Let's go up to Ann Arbor and talk

with one of the stars potentially of this game on Saturday. Running back from Michigan, Blake Corum joins us now. Blake, what's going on, man? How are you? I'm doing great. How are you? I'm doing fantastic. Can I wait to get up to East Lansing to see this one? Let's start there. Like the level of excitement that you and your teammates have for this rivalry. Listen, you're always going to be excited about this rivalry. But for it to be like the biggest matchup in college football right now, this has got to just be like, oh, you've got to be over the moon. Oh, man, you know, I'm just trying to stay calm. You know, sometimes it's hard to stay calm. I'm just trying to stay as calm as I can until, you know, we get up there Saturday and get on the

field. You guys have been so good running the football, right? And, and unapologetically so, right? I mean, like, it doesn't matter. You guys got extra guys in the box. It don't matter. You guys. You're going to run the rock. And I love that about the whole mentality of what you bring. You and Hassan Haskins in the backfield, the one two punch has been sensational this year. Take me through the mentality. What's it like offensively for you guys and your mentality

and how you operate on a weekly basis? Yeah, you know, so the mentality started in the offseason when, you know, all of us, you know, put, we're putting in the work, you know, on the field, in the weight room, in the classroom, just all together. But our mentality is just being physical. You know, shout out to our O line. They've been physical up front.

You know, they've been moving guys out the way. They're allowing Assangell myself to have some one-on-one matchups. And, you know, you have to win your one-on-one matchups. So that's where we've been good at, you know, running the ball. And like I said, shout-to-o-line. You know, they're real physical in front. And they're getting the job done. And it hasn't mattered that you guys have been banged up up there a little bit.

You guys didn't have even like your starting guards last week. And, you know, Barnhard came in and did a great job. Phillyaga came in, did a great. Like, they played really well up front last week against Northwestern to the Tuni. You guys didn't even really have to throw the football. You and Hassan were getting it done. Yeah, exactly. You know, the next man has to be ready at all times.

And that's what we preach. And those guys are ready to step up and they did a phenomenal job. And, you know, it doesn't matter who's in it. You know, just prepared like you're going to play. And that's what those guys did. Now, when we talk with your coaching statement, staff. And now this is going to be the third game that we've done of you. We did the Wisconsin game. We obviously were there last week. And now this is going to be our third game, Gus and I.

And all of them talk about your work ethic, but even more than that, not even just individually, it's the competitiveness between you and Hassan in the backfield, whether it's in the weight room or it's in practice, wherever it is. Can you share with us what it's like between you and Hassan Haskins in terms of the competitive drive to be better than one another and then what that means to your offense. So you know, you always need someone that will push you, right? So you probably heard of iron sharpens iron. Yeah. And that's what, you know, Hassan and I are, you know, we sharpen each other, you know, whether it be like you said, the wait room, whether it be studying the playbook, study and film, whatever we do, we just want to make sure we're making each other better. And then

also we're there for each other, you know. We want to see a. each other just went. You know, when he's in, I'm cheering him on. When I'm in, he's cheering me on. And we just want to see each other be successful and do great things. And so when you have that type of mindset, you know, it leads to the field and leads to success.

And that's why I think, you know, me and Assan are good back together, you know, we're really good. And we just want each other to be successful. I've heard about the, the chin up off. Is that how you call it? I don't know. What are you guys? Like, you hold the.

the chin up, right? I've heard about this. You guys will, and you'll go face to face, right? So you're on bars that, like, can face each other, and you'll just hold the chin up and it's like a staring contest and so somebody falls down, right? Yeah, that's called the trap chin hold.

And so, you know, you just hang up there. And sometimes they'll change the rules up. Until they're the first man that will come down or you can even, you can hold it right here too. And just the first person that arms lock out loses. And so that, you know, just always throwing in things where you can compete at whether it be like I said

traction hold sometimes we'll have a bench off see who can do the most reps and just competing at everything whether it would be we can compete at the conditioning testing we compete it doesn't really matter you know that's right watch a film who watches the most film let's compete at that let's just compete at everything just make each other better now I know that you didn't necessarily grow up in this rivalry, although I know that you were close to it in a certain sense. Will you tell me what playing Michigan State means to you and your teammates? You know, it means a lot to us because I said it a couple of days ago in a different interview,

but, you know, whoever wins this game gets the bragging rights for the rest of the year. And as a competitor, you know, you don't want no man, no one to hold anything against you. So, you know, it means a lot. You know, both of us going into the game, undefeated, both of us top 10 ranked, being from the state of Michigan, team-wise, you know, but it means a lot. It's going to get gritty. It's going to, you know, the tension is building up.

And so, you know, like I said, it means a lot. And I'm just ready to go out there and play some ball. Your position group, you guys got a new coach this year. And he's the legend in those hallways, right? Mike Hart comes back home, the Legend of Michigan. Now he's your running back coach. What has he meant to you this year and how has he made you better? You know, he's taking my game to a different level.

On the field wise, for sure, but definitely like in the classroom. And what I mean by in the classroom, like my IQ for the game has gotten so much better. When I'm on the field now, you know, I see things that I wasn't seeing last year, whether it be blitzes, you know, whatever formation the defense is in. So he's just taking my game to a whole other notch. And so I'm so blessed to have Coach Hart, the legend here as my coach. And as you can see, you know,

it's helped the running back room. And it's going to continue helping the running back room. And just the whole team in general with his mentality, it's helped the whole team. Blake, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you to join. I know it's a busy week, man. And you've got bigger fish to fry. There's no doubt.

Best of luck on Saturday. We'll see you up there. And good luck, bud. Yeah, I appreciate it. A little clap back time. Let's get into the social media sphere. Check out what's going on because you know it's always so good. Let's check out what's going on on Twitter.

Okay, Sir Larry Wildman from Wall Street, maybe. Is that you, Sir Larry? I'm not sure. Let's see. He says, quote, Michigan has the best run game of the Big Ten, end quote, question mark. Have you watched Trayvion Henderson from Ohio State? A lot going on. And I can answer all of this.

factually, Sir Larry Wildman, and in doing such, will break you, mate, and two pieces over my knees. First, the first thing that I say there, the Michigan has the best run game in the Big Ten is factually accurate. They run for 253 yards per game. That's exactly 46. Yes, 46 yards better than Ohio State who runs for 207 yards. They run for more touchdowns. Now, one thing Ohio State does is they run for more yards per rush than Michigan. Does that mean they have the best run game in the Big Ten? No. number one run game in the Big Ten is Michigan. So that was factually accurate. Then you also asked me, have I watched Travion Henderson?

Yes, I have watched Trivian on Henderson. He runs for about 10 yards per carry. He's scoring a touchdown about once every six times he touches the football. He's very good. But that does not mean that they have the top rushing game in the Big Ten. So, Sir Larry Wildman, now that I can buy you six times over, your tweet, sir, is false. I do love the anonymous account, though, and I love a good parody when I say. see it, but if you're going to come at Kla, you better come with better stuff than that.

This has been breaking the huddle, folks. Huge matchup in East Lansing, Michigan State, Michigan, Big Noon Saturday, Gus, Jenny, and I will be there. Big Noon kickoff will be there. Coverage gets started at 10 a.m. Eastern. Make sure you're watching. This one's going to be fantastic. This has been brought to you the entire show by Dr. Pepper.

It is the one fans deserve. Can't wait for Saturday, everybody. Enjoy the week. Thank you.