Bring Back the True Fullback
After watching Michigan struggle with its goal line offense this season, is it better to try and have a do it all running back for these situations like a Hassan Haskins, or have a full back on the roster who specializes in these situations specifically? Corum was a little better than average in true goal line situations, and the rest of our running backs seem to be below average in these situations at this point.
Maybe Mullins is the guy and can refine his game if he’s focused on this role 100% for an entire offseason and an entire season, but I feel like we need a Ben Mason, Khalid Hill, or Sione Houma type who will get the 2 yards or less that you need 99% of the time (and won’t fumble the ball). Harbaugh has pretty much abandoned this role after 2018, but with NIL practically making the 85 scholarship limit obsolete, wouldn’t it be worth trying to develop a fullback for this role? Mason and Hill were pretty much automatic and Michigan would have had a sure 14 points more in the TCU game if they had a Hammering Panda or Bench Mason.
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:37 PM ^
Agree. Houma was so underrated. Terrific FB.
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:18 PM ^
Hammer Panda?
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:38 PM ^
Harbaugh teams definitely need a true FB for goalline situations
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:39 PM ^
In my opinion, I don't think you need to have a fullback specific, just more of a bruiser RB along with the lightning we have. I think larger position switches rarely work out(Yes, I know Sainristl has worked), so I'm not a fan of Mullings moving over to the RB position after being an LB. I think having the Thunder and Lightning RB combo with HH and BC worked out well because we had the guy that could do 2 yards 99% of the time, and both that could run. This year, it was more of a lightning and lightning combo. Regardless of what happens with Corum, I still hope we bring in a transfer RB that is more of a bruiser with experience while Cabana gets up to speed.
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:53 PM ^
We’ve recruited the bigger backs in Dunlap and Hall. Hall hasn’t even played yet but Dunlap is barely seeing the field. I think that is why Mullings got moved over. I’m really hoping Stokes makes a jump this year, especially if Corum doesn’t come back.
January 2nd, 2023 at 4:55 PM ^
Yeah I'm hoping Hall turns out. I'm not as high on Stokes yet as others are, but was really hoping to see Dunlap play. Gash wasn't a bigger back, but saw more time than Dunlap. Even "
DANNY HUGHES" who I've never heard of saw nearly the same amount of time as Dunlap.
Corums injury seems bigger than initially thought, so even if he does come back, what would he be like? If I'm Corum, I honestly go to the NFL, make your money. I get the argument that UM should give him an NIL contract that's equal to a rookie deal, but I'd honestly rather they use that NIL money to land future recruits(Davis) or go get more top players out of the portal. Go get MarShawn Lloyd
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:45 PM ^
I wouldn’t mind having a fullback as much as we run the ball and with all of the tight ends. The hybrid ones we’ve recruited like Hibner and the kid next year Marshall would be perfect for it because they could also pop out for passes as well.
On the dang one yard line I’d like for them to start doing the qb sneak under center with JJ. The big fumble after the Wilson overturned touchdown would’ve been a perfect time for a qb sneak. The other team has ran down the field, you hurry up and get to the line and sneak it.
January 2nd, 2023 at 4:33 PM ^
Plus they had four downs to get the TD. The play call to Mullins on first down didn't make any sense at all (which is totally voided if he had scored).
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:47 PM ^
An athletic OL or TE type guy. I also think Mullings could be that guy if he bulked up more (especially his lower half) and had more than a month to work on handoffs and blocking.
January 2nd, 2023 at 5:10 PM ^
We have been using the TE as a pseudo FB the past two years
January 2nd, 2023 at 5:20 PM ^
Not the same.....they aren't a threat to run. Mason and Hill were part of the equation in short yardage as blockers or runners. Bredeson isnt the same thing, though I wouldn't mind teaching him to be a full time fullback.
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:48 PM ^
I just want three types of players on the field like Nintendo Hockey: skinny guy, medium guy, fat guy.
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:49 PM ^
We need a William Refrigerator Perry
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:47 PM ^
We used to have a Defensive lineman that ran the ball in short yardage. William Carr, number 96. Check him out in the 1995 Purdue game when we won 5-0. Specifically around the 13 min mark in the 4th quarter. 2 carries in a row.
January 2nd, 2023 at 4:42 PM ^
He also fumbled at the goal line against Purdue in 1996. Michigan lost 9-3. Defensive lineman carrying the ball is a bad idea.
January 2nd, 2023 at 6:30 PM ^
I remember him fumbling at the goal line but I couldn't remember which game. I was thinking it was one of the bowl games against Texas AM in 95 or Alabama in 97 but I couldn't find it. Thank you for letting me know it was Purdue 96. Those days seem like a lifetime ago.
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:50 PM ^
We just need the defense to hesitate for a split second to see if McCarthy pulls. The threat of a QB keep and jog around the edge will go a long way to help with the run game on the goal line.
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:20 PM ^
No. Brian has talked about this on the podcast. Zone reads are ineffective on the goal line, because the safeties, who are responsible for the QB, are already too close to the line.
January 2nd, 2023 at 8:24 PM ^
Really the point is we don't have to try and ram the ball into the endzone between the tackles every time, especially when the other team is expecting it. JJ can fake the handoff and do something else with the ball -like maybe throwing for the score. One huge problem with our red zone efficiency is being too predictable in our play calling.
January 2nd, 2023 at 8:38 PM ^
I vaguely remember TCU scoring that way. I could verify this, but I'm too emotionally unstable to relive any of it.
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:51 PM ^
I think having a true FB that can carry the ball is an advantage in goal line situations for two reasons. For one, if he's established (like Khalid Hill was) as a TD threat, it makes the defense a beat slower in recognizing which back gets the ball. That "beat" can be critical fractions of a second in goal-to-go. The second advantage is the FB is arriving from less depth, and the handoff will happen slightly more quickly than a HB coming in from a few yards deeper, so there's less risk of getting a catastrophic loss of yards and the FB gets to the L.O.S. with momentum more quickly.
The FB really does have to be multi-talented in blocking and carrying though. You can't just stick some stiff 245-lb dude back there and hope for the best. In most situations, I think just having a mooseback, like Haskins or maybe Mullings in the future, is fine.
If UM is going to run the ball 50-60 times per game all season, there does need to be better RB depth, however. We were all worried back in preseason about who it would be after Corum/Edwards, and lo and behold Corum goes out for the season and Edwards has a cast on hand. The coaching staff clearly didn't trust Stokes just yet, so it was walk-ons and a converted LB getting key carries. That didn't work out that well.
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:51 PM ^
So many teams run the “Bush push” as their short yardage play. It is basically undefeated. If we arent going to do that get a guy like Mazi in there as a refrigerator Perry type. We never seem to do anything creative/tricky so it makes sense to change the dynamics of the playcall somehow.
January 2nd, 2023 at 6:01 PM ^
Exactly!! TCU even did it to us. Easiest play call in the game. Get on the 2 or less....auto-Bush Push. It's legal now.
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:51 PM ^
I agree
username checks out (beat y’all to it)
January 2nd, 2023 at 1:52 PM ^
But first, bring back the QB sneak. First and goal on the half-yard line? You QB sneak that every day of the week, and twice on Sunday. Especially behind your Rimington-award-winning center. There is no need for two exchanges (Center to QB and QB to running back) in that context when one is all you need. Super low risk of fumbling and high likelihood of scoring with QB sneak.
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:16 PM ^
I think using the QB sneak is effective, too. Having the FB dive in our arsenal along with this is better than relying on one approach. The one certainty is Harbaugh wanting to go up the middle when it’s inside the 3 yard line. Utilizing variable means of going up the gut will put the defense in conflict, and give the offense the split second to gain momentum, identify a crease, or recognize that going over the top is possible. I think all Michigan fans get frustrated with the lack of creativity at the goal line, but creativity can backfire like we saw on the first drive against TCU. Having three players (QB, RB, FB) who are all threats to score along with TEs motioning to keep the LBs on edge would be more effective than what Michigan has been doing now. And if you break tendency, then have it be a play action bootleg where the QB runs it in or throws a TD to wide open TEs.
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:14 PM ^
A FB would help. But also, let JJ throw the ball in the endzone once in a while. Why are we so averse to this?
January 2nd, 2023 at 3:56 PM ^
Yeah, I don't get it. Between Ronnie, Loveland, CJ, and Donovan (and Schoon when healthy), the options are there. Just steal a few plays from KC or Buffalo, get everybody moving, and let JJ roll out as he likes to do.
January 3rd, 2023 at 12:08 PM ^
Why have JJ throw it into the end zone when you can have your FR TE throw it instead... to JJ!
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:23 PM ^
Hammering Pandas are an endangered species... but given the right environment, I believe they can thrive in A2..... we just need to find one.
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:27 PM ^
With 85 scholarships, there's no reason not to have a Bench Mason every year.
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:29 PM ^
Agree … rather have the FB-type that can play some TE than the TE That can play some FB like a Bredeson. Interesting he was in a tail back in the goal line fumble play. Think he may have ran once or twice all season.
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:32 PM ^
I honestly don’t know why we don’t just spread it out more to help the running game. Look back to the Urban Meyer teams that were run first and run heavy. They rarely ran jumbo sets, even in short yardage. Instead, they spread out teams which made running lanes far less crowded when you have a hat on a hat with 5/6 guys on the OL and 5/6 defenders in the box. If the defense still stacks the box, you take easy quick throws. It’s what you see a lot of in the NFL nowadays too. Once Corum went down, you’d think this would be the easy solution.
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:34 PM ^
Mullings. As they say around the race track: Gs matter. 😉
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:38 PM ^
Agreed, and I called for this in a reply to a TCU preview post. Perhaps if we had been doing this a few times in each game (and repping it in Practice) our GL execution the other night would have been better.
The downside is that it means the QB needs lots of reps under center, and we would need to put in some variants/fakes off of this play to keep defenses honest.
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:45 PM ^
I understand ditching the FB during the whole speed in space experiment, but since we have scrapped that and gone back to a run first manball offense, I have no idea why we don't have a fullback. Then again I have no idea why we don't like things like play action or letting our QB read an option.
January 2nd, 2023 at 2:49 PM ^
I don't necessarily think a true fullback is needed but more along the lines of how we used ben(ch) mason. A sort of swiss army knife of a back. He can line up at fullback, tailback, h-back, maybe even wildcat qb to get two rbs on the field along with extra oline. Obviously this is a situation you work towards, getting all other scenarios compeltely mastered first. Harbaugh has shown this style of offense can work out of the spead, now let's perfect it. My idea would be to talk to/study someone from the trees of (believe me, it hurts me to say it) sleezeball meyer and/or gus malzahn. Take little pieces of how they used players of this sort and implement them. But we must also diversify the pass game, thats another thread.
January 2nd, 2023 at 3:05 PM ^
I'd rather have another tight end- more versatile. Just make sure that they have plenty of work at lining up in the backfield and lead blocking from there.
January 2nd, 2023 at 3:49 PM ^
You don't need a fullback. Both Haskins and Corum were fantastic short-yardage backs, whereas Edwards is not. He's more of a Percy Harvin type, despite being bigger than Corum. We either need Corum back -- please! -- or a portal transfer, which should be gettable. The rest of the guys on the roster are either smaller guys or totally unproven.
January 2nd, 2023 at 3:54 PM ^
I think throwing the ball once in a while would be a much better and easier solution to our red zone woes.
January 2nd, 2023 at 3:56 PM ^
Agree with fullback concept.
Also, any role for direct snap to Orji in such a situation, or is he too tall? He weighs around 235.
January 2nd, 2023 at 4:12 PM ^
Keep the FB away from this offense! Got rid of the FB and immediately beat OSU twice, won the B1G and go to the playoff and now some of you want it back??
Get better WRs!!
January 2nd, 2023 at 4:16 PM ^
I believe the reasoning behinds the fullback is for special short yardage circumstances and not as in a routine offensive play.
However, could also be effectively used as a head fake in certain circumstances.
January 2nd, 2023 at 4:23 PM ^
Michigan didn’t use the fullback in the traditional sense in 2019 and 2020. Ben Mason was too busy playing snaps at defensive tackle.
January 2nd, 2023 at 4:21 PM ^
Need fullback and a between the tackles thumper ala H2.DE is not that thumper.H2 was so effective because big backs wear on backers and safeties.Blake is a generational back that had the ability to wear down defenders and have great vision.Harbaugh’s most effective backs have been thumpers.H2,Gerhardt.I am hoping a move to tailback this spring with Orgi.