Ask any good running back what the most unheralded skill is at the position and the odds may be pretty good the answer will be pass protection. What truly separates the great running backs from the good running backs is a will to commit to pass protection when not being handed the football. It is something some players take great pride in once they work on the skill, and that is something Michigan running back Derrick Green is soaking in with preparation for the 2014 season.
“They know we can run the ball,” Green said last week during a summer episode of “Inside Michigan Football,” according to MLive.com. “But you’ve got to be able to block first, and run second. Protecting the quarterback is the main thing for us. Running the ball is secondary, pass protection is first.”
That is a good mindset for the Wolverines after allowing 36 sacks last season. Credit must be given to new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, who is bringing a bit of a new attitude and philosophy to Michigan after serving as an assistant at Alabama the past two seasons. One of the big differences between Alabama and most of its opponents the last few years has been the ability of the offense to protect the quarterback. It is a philosophy that must be bought from all positions, not just the offensive linemen up front.
Michigan has a talented running back group with loads of potential, but for the Wolverines to truly take the next step as an offensive unit, the running backs must improve the pass blocking this fall.