RUSH OFFENSE vs. IOWA RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #9 nationally in rushing with 225 yards/game and tied for #16 in yards per carry (5.25). Hassan Haskins leads the team with 244 carries for 1,232 yards (5.1 yards/carry) and 18 touchdowns. His rushing load has picked up significantly since Blake Corum suffered a high ankle sprain, resulting in Haskins averaging 26.5 carries per game over the final four weeks of the regular season. Haskins has 8 touchdowns over the stretch. Luckily, Corum returned last week to the tune of 6 carries for 87 yards, so a little bit of lightning is back to join Haskins’s thunder. Michigan is #1 in the country in tackles for loss allowed with just 2.0 per game. Iowa averages 4.58 tackles for loss per game, which is tied for 111th in the nation. They’re led by senior defensive end Zach VanValkenburg (6’4″, 267 lbs.) with 11.5 TFLs. Nose tackle Logan Shannon (6’0″, 289) and defensive tackle Logan Lee (6’5″, 277) man the middle with technique and quickness more than brute strength. The defense is led by junior middle linebacker Jack Campbell (6’5″, 243), who has 124 tackles. He’s paired with 6’1″, 229 lb. weakside linebacker Seth Benson, who has 89 tackles. Senior safety Jack Koerner (6’0″, 204) is third on the team with 75 takedowns. It’s a relatively stationary defense, but they’re good and well coached. They’re #14 in rush defense (106 yards allowed/game) and #8 in yards allowed per carry, at just 2.97. They won’t stop you in the backfield, but they will gang tackle you shortly beyond the line of scrimmage.
Advantage: Michigan
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