Kyle Whittingham Still Searching For Answers With Michigan's Struggling Running Game

Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham has made it clear throughout the season that establishing a productive rushing attack is a priority for his football team. Unfortunately, with the Wolverines preparing for their rivalry matchup against Michigan State, that remains one of the biggest challenges facing the offense.

During his Monday press conference, Whittingham once again addressed Michigan's inability to consistently move the football on the ground, pointing to an offensive line that continues to develop and a running back in Jordan Marshall who simply hasn't found his rhythm. Luckily for the Wolverines, freshman Savion Hiter toted it 20 times against Rutgers en route to a 76-yard outing.

Perhaps the most interesting revelation involved Marshall, who entered the season with expectations of being a significant contributor in Michigan's backfield.

Whittingham made it clear that Marshall's struggles aren't related to his health. In fact, the head coach indicated that Marshall is as close to 100% physically as anyone on the roster.

That makes his lack of production even more puzzling.

Whittingham admitted that he doesn't have a definitive explanation for why Marshall hasn't been able to establish himself as a consistent threat, although Michigan's struggles along the offensive line certainly haven't helped.

The Wolverines spent the early portion of the season attempting to identify their best combination up front, and that process has continued to impact the offense's overall effectiveness.

Whittingham expressed confidence in offensive line coach Jim Harding, calling him an excellent coach while acknowledging that getting the unit where it needs to be isn't something that happens overnight.

Although he believes the offensive line has shown incremental improvement as the season has progressed, the Wolverines still aren't performing at the level necessary to establish the physical rushing attack Whittingham wants. Injuries have certainly been a part of that, but the group still needs to be better.

There is, however, one potential development that could help change things.

The emergence of freshman quarterback Tommy Carr as a legitimate passing threat could eventually create more favorable opportunities for Michigan's running backs.

Whittingham suggested that Carr's ability to effectively throw the football should help loosen opposing defenses, potentially creating additional running lanes for Marshall, Hiter and the rest of Michigan's backfield.

Of course, that only matters if the offensive line can consistently create opportunities.

Whittingham emphasized that the Wolverines are improving, even if that progress hasn't happened as quickly as anyone would like.

The defense continues to perform at an elite level, according to Whittingham, but the offense remains a work in progress, and until the Wolverines find a way to consistently run the football, that progress will likely remain slower than everyone in Ann Arbor would prefer.