Sherrone Moore offers critical injury update on Justice Haynes and addresses key failures in Michigan loss to USC Trojans
Michigan’s running game completely neutralized in embarrassing loss to USC Trojans
Michigan’s hot streak just came to a close in emphatic fashion on Saturday, thanks to failures across the entire team. The defense missed tackles. Bryce Underwood’s play wasn’t good enough. The coaching staff didn’t have any answers or proper adjustments to get the ball moving. However, the most surprising aspect of the 31-13 loss to the USC Trojans was that Michigan could not run the ball.
The run game is supposed to be the strength, the identity, the unstoppable engine and force of the Michigan Wolverines’ offense. USC has had an embarrassing run defense all year long. That didn’t matter Saturday. On top of all of it, Justice Haynes, the team’s star running back, suffered an injury, forcing him out of second-half action. Luckily, from the sound of Sherrone Moore’s comments after the game, Haynes will be okay, but Michigan must fix its run game.
Michigan’s run game struggles against USC Trojans
- Prior to facing off against USC, the Michigan Wolverines were averaging 238 rushing yards per game, 6.4 yards per carry, and had logged at least 146 rushing yards in every game, including against the number one defense in the nation Oklahoma Sooners
- Michigan managed just 109 total rushing yards against USC despite the Trojans coming into the Big Ten matchup ranked outside the top 60 FBS teams in run defense
- The Wolverines averaged just 3.5 yards per carry on the game, Justice Haynes was injured, and no rushing play went for more than 13 yards for Michigan throughout the entire contest
Michigan’s run game suffered more than just a minor Justice Haynes injury against USC Trojans
Michigan had been dominating on the ground before its game with USC. It ranked top 10 among all FBS teams in yards per carry, had been rushing for nearly 250 yards per game, and hadn’t logged a single game below 146 rushing yards through five previous contests. Unfortunately, they ran into a surprising brick wall against the Trojans, averaging 3.5 yards per carry and managing only 109 yards on the ground.
When asked about the game plan with and without Haynes in the lineup, Moore had this to say:
“The game plan [without Justice Haynes] was the same,” Moore said. “We did the same things we were going to do with the game plan. [Haynes] will be okay. We’ll just see how he goes as we go through the week…Yeah, it was just something in his side. He came back out. He was working through it, probably could have went [back in]. We’re extra cautious with our student athletes when anything happens to them. Try to make sure they’re okay. But yeah, the game plan was the same [without him in].”
It’s nice to see Moore and company stay committed to their run identity and game plan despite their best player going down, but the lack of success was concerning. Haynes seems like he should be okay here soon, and the injury didn’t seem like a major one, even when the game was going on, because he stayed on the sideline, riding the bike with his helmet still on.
Regardless of Haynes’ injury status, it’s a bit concerning that, outside of two 13-yard runs from both Marshall and Haynes, Michigan averaged just over four yards per carry on conventional running back carries. The offensive line wasn’t good enough at generating space or push up front. Marshall couldn’t make anyone miss or win off contact. Haynes even looked like he wasn’t as dynamic as usual.
Hopefully, this is just a one-off disappointing performance from Michigan’s run game and Haynes recovers fully (and soon). Still, if teams begin to figure out how to slow the Wolverines’ rushing attack, Underwood will have to take a few huge leaps forward if they want success to continue.
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