Tag: Kalel Mullings

Michigan 30, East Carolina 3

Football is back! All is right in the world when it’s football season. In another few days, the NFL season will be back and we can all enjoy Heaven for a few months. It has been a long off-season for me on an individual level, and this is also a chance to break away from the 2023 Season Countdown and get back into a groove with writing about various topics.

This was a boring matchup. I like seeing different opponents, but with East Carolina, there were no storylines. It’s not a geographical matchup. When I looked through the roster and coaching staff, there was no crossover. East Carolina doesn’t recruit in the state of Michigan. No transfers or ex-staffers from Michigan. There was no angle. The most interesting aspect going into the opener, aside from seeing who starts for Michigan, was . . .

. . . Peacock. The Peacock stream sucked. I signed up for Peacock on Friday because there’s really no other reason to do so earlier. And I don’t really care about the expense. I’ll pay $5.99 to watch a Michigan game. But when I’m paying for it, I expect a good product. When I paid for cable, I expected ESPN and FS1 and BTN to give me a good product. Otherwise, I’ll just turn off the volume and think through it myself. I don’t need Mike Tirico and one of the Simms brothers to tell me what’s happening on the game. Peacock actually complied – presumably on accident – when there was just no audio for several minutes. The fourth quarter feed got blurry, too, but maybe that had something to do with my local internet. But Peacock also cut out a play, there was no pregame show, the halftime show was boring, and oh yeah . . . the Simms kid isn’t exactly top-notch. If I wanted crappy analysis, I would watch some of the ex-Buckeye talking heads like Josh Perry and Joey Galloway.

Hit the jump for more.

2023 Season Countdown: #38 Kalel Mullings

Name: Kalel Mullings
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 239 lbs.
High school: West Roxbury (MA) Milton Academy
Position: Running back
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #20
Last year: I ranked Mullings #39 and said he would be a backup linebacker and special teamer (LINK). He made 12 tackles, ran the ball 14 times for 31 yards and 3 touchdowns, and completed 1/1 pass for 15 yards.
TTB Rating: 78

It’s not often that Michigan running backs average 2-point-something yards per carry, but when they do, it’s because they’re scoring touchdowns. Yes, Jim Harbaugh hearkened back to the old, old, old days of . . .

. . . 2016.

He made Khalid Hill the “Hammering Panda” by giving him the ball 25 times for 39 yards and 10 touchdowns. Hill scored 3 the next year and then left, only to be replaced by Ben Mason, who averaged 2.4 yards/carry on his way to scoring 7 touchdowns.

Those are unfair comparisons, because Mullings is speedier and more athletic than both of those guys. Mullings could probably be a starting tailback at a number of FBS schools, but at Michigan, he’s maybe the third-best guy.

The only reason Mullings got a chance to play running back last year is because Blake Corum hurt his knee and Donovan Edwards hurt his hand. Mullings didn’t notch any carries until the final three games, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that a 15th rushing opportunity was botched on the goal line against TCU, resulting in a fumble and then a 99-yard drive by the Horned Frogs that resulted in a touchdown. Michigan tried to surprise TCU with a handoff to Mullings, who was lined up at fullback with Edwards behind him, but Michigan surprised itself. Ouch.

To end last year’s recap on a high note, Mullings also lined up in a short yardage situation and then threw a halfback pass to Colston Loveland in the win against Ohio State, which was a little bit fun.

This year I have Mullings ranked here at #38 because I think Jim Harbaugh will be loyal to a guy who has stuck around for four years without any guarantees of a starting role. Whether it’s as a short yardage back or as a legitimate backup option, I think Mullings will play. There’s less need for a goal line back when the tough, slippery Corum is available, but Michigan may try to keep Corum healthy for the stretch run by taking some of the load off of him.

Prediction: Backup running back

U.S. Army/Adidas All-American Bowl Participants: Michigan

Donovan Peoples-Jones

For your viewing pleasure, here’s a comprehensive list of Michigan’s commitments who were selected for the All-American Bowl (formerly the U.S. Army All-American Bowl). The next All-American Bowl will be on January 7, 2023 in San Antonio, TX.

2023
Semaj Bridgeman, LB – Philadelphia, PA

2022
Zeke Berry, S – Concord, CA#
Darrius Clemons, WR – Portland, OR#
Jayden Denegal, QB – Apple Valley, CA
Tyler Morris, WR – La Grange Park, IL#

2021
Junior Colson, LB – Brentwood, TN**
Tommy Doman, Jr., P – Orchard Lake, MI**
J.J. McCarthy, QB – La Grange Park, IL**

2020
Darion Green-Warren – Harbor City, CA
A.J. Henning – Frankfort, IL
Jordan Morant, S – Oradell, NJ
R.J. Moten, S – Delran, NJ
Kalel Mullings, LB – Milton, MA

2019
Daxton Hill, S – Tulsa, OK
Chris Hinton, DT – Norcross, GA
Cornelius Johnson, WR – Greenwich, CT

Hit the jump for the rest of the U.S. Army Bowl participants to play for Michigan since 2001.

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Michigan 45, Ohio State 23

I was wrong. I predicted a 35-24 Ohio State victory, and it went almost exactly the opposite way. I didn’t expect Michigan’s offense to be able to keep up with Ohio State’s, especially if Blake Corum was unable to play. Oops.

Pound the rock. Ohio State held up very well against the run for much of the game. In the first half, Michigan rushed for just 20 total yards, including just 6 yards on 2 carries for Blake Corum. They also used C.J. Stokes on 2 carries for just 5 yards. The second half turned into a completely different story. An injured Donovan Edwards, wearing a cast on his right hand, took over the game, carrying the ball in his non-dominant hand. He finished with 22 carries for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns. One was a 75-yarder where he outraced safety Lathan Ransom, and the other was a patient attempt where he waited for a crease and then gashed the Buckeyes for 85 yards. Even though Michigan wasn’t successful in the first half, they seemed to wear down Ohio State’s front.

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Michigan vs. Maryland Awards

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Donovan Edwards. Edwards caught 10 passes for 170 yards and 1 touchdown in the 2021 matchup against Maryland. This year he caught 0 passes for 0 yards. Because he didn’t play in the game. Michigan only has four scholarship running backs on the team, and it appears that the Wolverines coaching staff only trusts two of them – Blake Corum and Edwards. So when one goes out with an injury, the other is going to get the lion’s share of opportunities. Hopefully Edwards can return healthy from his leg injury to relieve Corum a little bit and they can be consistent as a 1-2 punch.

Hit the jump for more.