Karan Higdon showcasing his dependability to Jim Harbaugh
By Gowidenews 76 minutes ago
ANN ARBOR — It's safe to say that Michigan has its workhorse at running back in senior Karan Higdon.
With the one-two punch of Higdon and Chris Evans unavailable for the second week in a row due to an injury Evans suffered in the second half in the victory over SMU, coupled with a struggling Wolverines offense that needed a spark against Northwestern, the U-M coaching staff put their faith and every ounce of trust into their offensive captain to help get the job done.
He delivered.
Not only did he score the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but Higdon also finished with a career-high 30 carries for 113-yards and two touchdowns. All in a days work for the senior and captain.
Higdon proved to his head coach that he deserves all the trust in the world when the game is on the line and the team needs a spark. Jim Harbaugh noted on Monday that Higdon has that trust and dependability a coach is looking for in an every-down back.
"He’s really got the ability to run all the assortment of runs," Harbaugh said. "He’s not in a category where he can only run outside runs or only run inside runs; he can do both. He can also pass-protect at a high level. There’s a great level of trust with Karan in every phase, including ball security. So it allows us to use him as much as the offense has."
Only six-yards shy of 1,000 rushing yards and a flirtation with the NFL Draft last season, Higdon returned for his senior season with something to prove. To prove that he's capable of being the dependable running back in the Wolverines' offense. While he's certainly proved he is, he's also proved that investing time and effort into making oneself a better player also provides dividends as well.
Noticeably larger from last season, Higdon has added 16 pounds of muscle to his already large frame during the offseason. That added muscle hasn't impacted his ability to cut and hasn't impacted his speed, either.
According to Harbaugh, that added weight has had a major impact in one area of his game in particular. One that was on full display on Saturday.
His ability to get yards after contact.
"The biggest improvement I’ve seen from Karan is the extra yardage, the extra yards after contact that he’s gaining," Harbaugh said. "If a play’s blocked for two yards, he’s getting four or five. A thing I think he’s continuing to build on is the ability to catch the ball. He’s done that, and he’s been able to turn a four-yard gain into a seven or eight or nine-yard gain, able to make the first defender miss more, and bleed out more yardage."
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