At Michigan, the backfield has always been a sacred domain.
Bo Schembechler established Michigan as a running school when he arrived in Ann Arbor in 1969 and prided himself on a grind-it-out, three-yards-and-cloud-of-dust style.
And so it has continued.
Last season, with an average receiving corps for quarterback Brian Griese to fall back on, Michigan maintained its heavy reliance on the run.
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| JOHN KRAFT/Daily Clarence Williams got most of the work during Saturday's spring game, bouncing several runs outside for long gains. |
Thankfully for Lloyd Carr, a safety net emerged.
Anthony Thomas assumed a role rarely reserved for Michigan freshmen, and he compiled yards in a hurry, topping 100 yards twice during the season.
Finishing second to Howard with 549 yards, Thomas established himself as the leading returning tailback - despite possessing a fullback's frame at 6-foot-2, 229 pounds.
Now, with Howard's next carry coming for the Denver Broncos, Thomas needs to become a greater force.
"Anthony has had a very good spring and I believe he is a little bit quicker than he was back in the fall," Carr said last week. "Throughout the course of last year, he gained some valuable experience."
But for all of Carr's compliments, last Saturday's spring game did little to reinforce Thomas' ascension to the featured-back status.
Williams carried the ball early and often, keeping most of his runs to the outer edges of the field, due to the tight ends out with injuries. Nonetheless, he racked up 77 yards on 13 carries, bursting through holes early and often.
The absence of the tight ends did not allow an accurate reflection of the running game, Carr said, but that should change once August and two-a-day practices roll around.
"We had four tight ends out today," he said after Saturday's game, "but everybody is expected back. We should be a healthy team going into training camp."
While the traditional fullback role was vacated by New England-bound Chris Floyd, Ray Jackson and Demetrius Smith should adequately fill the void, Carr said.
"I like the guys we have even though we do not have a lot of people at that position right now," he said. "Demetrius Smith has his weight down the furthest it has been since he arrived here. Another young guy is Ray Jackson, who I believe will be an outstanding football player at Michigan. At 217 pounds, Jackson can play fullback as well as run the ball effectively."
Jackson's blocking talents slid to the background on Saturday as he announced himself as a tailback contender with his running exhibition. Late in the fourth quarter, he scampered for a 64-yard run after a short pass, giving the offense an unexpected surprise and Carr yet another backfield option.
Great expectations: If the NFL Draft results were any indication, Michigan lost a number of outstanding leaders. Five Wolverines - Floyd, Griese, Howard, Charles Woodson and Glen Steele - were selected in the first five rounds, leaving significant holes to fill. And Carr said predicting anything based on the 15 spring practices would be presumptuous.
"At this point, it's way too early to tell," he said. "You find out a lot about your senior leadership and resolve during the hot summer months. But the test will come."
While captains for the fall have not been announced, Jon Jansen - a co-captain last year - is returning for his senior season.
The neverending story: While only a few of the incoming recruits were in attendance at the spring game - Detroit's Larry Foote among them - prospects for the following recruiting year flooded the field before the game, some with their parents.
"Recruiting is a neverending process," Carr said. "A number of the incoming guys were here so they can see who they're going to be competing against" for playing time.
04-21-98
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