Best running duo since Rob Lytle and Gordon Bell ?
Another great game by the Michigan running back duo of Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins. Both are on pace for 1000-yard seasons (Corum 104 yrds/game, Haskins 86 yrds/game).
Are they the best duo of RBs at Michigan since Rob Lytle and Gordon Bell?
There have been better individual performances, better career totals, but as a pair, has Michigan had two running backs in the same backfield who could gain tough yards as well as break away since that time? The only other backfield pair that comes immediately to mind are Denard Robinson and Fitz Toussaint who both went over 1000 yards in 2011 but Denard was a unique running QB.
Lytle and Bell played back in the I-formation days of the 1970s and Lytle played fullback for 9 games in 1976. Bell outgained Archie Griffin on a per game average and led the Big Ten in rushing in the year Griffin won the 1975 Heisman Trophy – something in today’s internet/24-7 video info environment would seem improbable. Both had 1000 yards in 1975.
Rob Lytle career 3307 yards from 1973-1976.
Gordon Bell career 2902 yards from 1973-1975.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Wolverines_football_statistical_leaders#Rushing
October 24th, 2021 at 10:26 AM ^
In my opinion, the best running back duo in Michigan history was Tyrone Wheatley and whoever was backing up Tyrone Wheatley.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:31 AM ^
1994 - Wheatley and Biakabutuka. Unbelievable duo.
That team was absolutely stacked, but I don't think it recovered emotionally from the Colorado Hail Mary.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:16 PM ^
Wheatley and Biakabutuka were my first, second and third answers to the OP's question.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:44 AM ^
The 1990s were my formative years as a fan (for better or worse). Loved myself some Mike Hart. But Wheatley... it's always been Wheatley.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:12 AM ^
I'd go with a trio: Wheatley, whoever was backing up Wheatley, and the guy that supplied Wheatley with his steroids.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:35 AM ^
I knew this would get negged. But it is true. Look at the little footage there was of Wheatley in '91 and compare that to later years.
Look, everybody did it. Wheatley wasn't special in this regard. But his transformation was just that: a transformation.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:42 AM ^
I don't know what he did or didn't put in his body, but Wheatley always had great size and speed at Michigan. It was obvious from day one that he was going to be awesome. I think you're confusing him with someone else.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:54 AM ^
Nope. His freshman season I actually wondered whether his body could stand the punishment he'd get in later years. Legs were spindly. Soph season he didn't look like the same guy.
Which was awesome, of course.
I was pretty naive, even in my latter 20's at the time. Never really even gave a thought to roids.
You think Tony Mandarich was the only college player in Mitten history to take roids?
October 24th, 2021 at 12:24 PM ^
Wheatley was always from early and his high school days a man child
October 24th, 2021 at 10:16 PM ^
From Wheatley's Wikipedia page:
"Wheatley's name and those of several of his teammates were found on the list of clients of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO)"
Ty used roids.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:27 PM ^
As a true freshman Wheatley rushed 86 times for 548 yards and 9 TDs. He wasn't a workhorse, because our backfield was stacked, but his potential was obvious.
In that Rose Bowl, we were crushed by a national championship-winning Washington team, but he had 9 carries for 68 yards and a TD.
I agree that PED use is probably far more common than fans want to believe, but I don't remember Wheatley going through any Barry Bonds-like change at Michigan. He was always a big back. He came in with a ton of recruiting hype, and lived up to it.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:41 PM ^
The problem we had in that Rose Bowl was Steve Emtman. We couldn't block him straight up. We couldn't block him with double teams. And we still had problems when we assigned 3 guys. Elvis Grbac got happy feet waaaay to quickly. Might be the best college DT in college history.
Then Emtman moves on to the NFL and we dismantle Husker D piece by piece.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:36 PM ^
As I said, I don't know what he (or anyone else) put in his body . . . but you're simply wrong that he was ever skinny at Michigan.
It was 30 years ago that he was a freshman. It's understandable if you're confusing your memory of him with another player.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:44 PM ^
I'm not. The confusion is on your part. The change from frosh to soph was eye-catching.
October 24th, 2021 at 1:17 PM ^
This is an odd hill to die on, man. Just look at the photo Blue boy johnson posted.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:30 PM ^
You are correct.
Here is a track pic from High School
October 24th, 2021 at 12:54 PM ^
I'm not seeing any "spindly legs" there Cromulent. Don't know who you were looking at back then, but it must not have been TW.
October 24th, 2021 at 1:16 PM ^
looks emaciated
October 24th, 2021 at 3:18 PM ^
Is that Terry Richardson or Tyrone Wheatley? I can't tell the difference.
October 24th, 2021 at 9:54 PM ^
Before roids. Had massive definition when running the 100 his soph year at UM. Can still remember the clip of him running at the B10 track championship that year.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:45 AM ^
Because players never gain any muscle between their freshman and sophomore years due to college weight-lifting/training programs.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:56 AM ^
Having a kid who has a measure of aptitude under the bar I'm familiar with what that can look like. Wheatley's changes did not come just from the bar.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:29 PM ^
Having a kid who happens to have a hobby does not make you an expert.
Wheatley was absolutely not Barry Bonds. Try just shutting up next time.
October 24th, 2021 at 2:01 PM ^
Stupid hill to die on, but whatever. Just look at the picture, and tell me he looks ‘spindly’. Better yet, admit you’re wrong and move along.
October 24th, 2021 at 1:13 PM ^
You are truly incromulent.
October 24th, 2021 at 7:32 PM ^
That’s comment is a bunch of BS. What proof do you have he was using roids? That dude was a stud in HS and in college. To bad he got drafted by the Giants and then later when on to the Raiders. You have no facts to back up the Roids claim.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:43 AM ^
Agreed. I recall 93 or 94 with Wheatley plus biakabatuka, Davis and crew being quite tough. Didn’t check stats and it could be bias with me being a younger fan then. Overall that team didn’t show up several weeks but they certainly had big talented backs.
Huge games still on calendar so the current duo has opportunity to leave a lasting legacy. Regardless Haskins has been one of Jim’s better finds and Corum has much of what they’ve been seriously lacking of late
October 24th, 2021 at 12:07 PM ^
At one point, I think their backfield had Wheatley, Ricky Powers, Jessie Johnson and Ed Davis. What's crazy is that you'd forgive Moeller if he ran the ball 60 times a game, but he couldn't do it with Derrick Alexander, Amani Toomer and Mercury Hayes out there. We were spoiled with those Moeller offenses.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:12 PM ^
Those Moeller teams were stacked with talent - the sadness of those years was they’d sometimes not play to their potential. But they oozed great NFL caliber talent at pretty much every position.
October 24th, 2021 at 2:21 PM ^
Wheatley was good, but to dismiss Biakabatuka as “whoever was backing up Wheatley” is flat out foolish.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:34 AM ^
Wheatley, Boles and Bunch
October 24th, 2021 at 10:44 AM ^
Tony Boles. What could have been!
October 24th, 2021 at 11:10 AM ^
Dude just glided down the field. Then he wrecked his knee, Emmitt Smith’s car, and his career, in that order.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:13 AM ^
Bunch & Jarrod was pretty cool.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:14 AM ^
Yes; they were also roommates…because they are the same person.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:23 AM ^
They didn't play at the same time. Boles and Bunch played for Bo while Wheatley played for Mo.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:44 AM ^
Powers Wheatley 1992?
October 24th, 2021 at 10:48 AM ^
During the late 80's early 90's having at least two excellent RBs was basically the standard:
1988 Tony Boles, Leroy Hoard
1989 Tony Boles, Leroy Hoard
1990 Jon Vaughan, Ricky Powers
1991 Ricky Powers, Jesse Johnson, Tyrone Wheatley
1992 Ricky Powers, Jesse Johnson, Tyrone Wheatley
1993 Ricky Powers, Tyrone Wheatley, Biakabutuka
1994 Tyrone Wheatley, Biakabutuka
October 24th, 2021 at 11:05 AM ^
I liked all those guys to some degree, but I think you're mixing "good" and "very good" with excellent in that list.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:33 PM ^
I don't know about the other posters, and perhaps I need adjustment of my medication, but whenever I read the names of Tyrone Wheatley and Leroy Hoard, I actually hear them in Keith Jackson's voice.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:50 AM ^
I'll throw out Chris Perry and BJ Askew as an option. In 2002, Perry had 1266 and Askew had 848. Askew had over 1000 yards in 2001. Perry had 2000 yards in 2003.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:54 AM ^
I don't remember any Michigan player ever going over 2000 yards rushing?
October 24th, 2021 at 11:06 AM ^
Perry had 2000 total yards in 2003.
338 carries (!) for 1674
44 catches for 367 more.
382 touches is insane.
October 24th, 2021 at 12:24 PM ^
Was it in 2003 when Perry had that…50ish carry game against MSU iirc? I don’t recall the specifics save announcers claiming Perry was looking towards the sideline to make eye contact with Carr to get a sub (Carr kept acting like he didn’t see him).
October 24th, 2021 at 2:14 PM ^
Yeah, that was '03 MSU. 51 carries for 219 and 2 catches for 17.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:08 AM ^
Perry had 1674 yards and 18 tds in 2003 per his Wikipedia page. Also won Doak Walker Award.
So many great running backs at Michigan. Haskins and Corum are both having a great season.
October 24th, 2021 at 11:15 AM ^
BJ Askew had the best name.
October 24th, 2021 at 3:11 PM ^
Askew was good, but our RBs were actually a bit rough overall in 2001. Then Perry hit his stride in subsequent years and the position got correspondingly better.
October 24th, 2021 at 10:52 AM ^
Is the question in terms of the best statistical season or the best duo? 2000 had Anthony Thomas and Chris Perry. I believe they were the last 2 RB's who didn't also play QB to go over 1500 yards rushing in a season. But, of course, they didn't do it in the same season, Thomas in 2000 and Perry in 2003.
(EDIT: Forgot about Mike Hart in 2006, rushing over 1500 yards)
October 24th, 2021 at 10:54 AM ^
Don't think you can judge them accurately until we get through the season and see how they do against the tougher opponents like the others you want to compare them to.