Corum, Moody, Oluwatimi Land Finalist Bids for Major Awards
11/29/2022 10:00:00 AM | Football
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Three players from the No. 2-ranked University of Michigan football team have been recognized by major awards to be distributed at the College Football Awards Show presented by Home Depot, it was announced by ESPN on Tuesday (Nov. 29). Running back Blake Corum (Doak Walker Award), kicker Jake Moody (Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award), and center Olusegun Oluwatimi (Outland Trophy) have each been named finalists for honors given to the best college football players in the nation at their respective positions.
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum selected Corum as one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award presented to the nation's premier running back. Corum is one of two Big Ten finalists, along with Illinois' Chase Brown in a trio that also includes Texas' Bijan Robinson.
Corum has delivered a special season as Michigan's lead back, totaling 247 carries for 1,463 rushing yards (No. 8, NCAA), the most yards by a U-M back since Mike Hart's 2006 season (1,562 yards) despite seven games this year with no fourth-quarter touches. He is U-M's first finalist for the Doak Walker Award since Hart, a two-time finalist in 2006-07. Chris Perry (2003) is the program's lone winner in seven seasons with a finalist.
Corum is third in the nation with 19 total touchdowns (18 rushing), second in first downs (96), and sixth in total points (114). He recorded at least 100 yards rushing and one rushing touchdown in eight consecutive Big Ten games, the longest streak at U-M in the last 25 seasons. The Marshall, Virginia, native is No. 10 in rushing yards per game (121.9 yards per game) and despite a career-high 247 carries, he has only 31 yards lost on the season.
The Palm Beach County Sports Commission recognized Moody as one of three finalists for the 31st Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award presented by the Orange Bowl. The Lou Groza Award recognizes college football's best placekicker. Moody is joined as a finalist by Stanford's Joshua Karty and North Carolina State's Christopher Dunn.
The Northville, Michigan, product is the first-ever two-time finalist for U-M after he became the program's first-ever winner last season. Should he win the award again this year, Moody would join Sebastian Janikowski (Florida State, 1998-99) as the only two-time winners in the award's history.
Moody is the nation's No. 1 scorer (131 points), just seven points shy of the single-season scoring record at Michigan held by Desmond Howard. Moody leads the country in field goals made (26) and field goals per game (2.17) in addition to points scored. He has made multiple field goals in seven games, including going 4-for-4 against Penn State and Illinois (with a game-winning field goal) and 5-for-5 against Michigan State (17 total points). Also a weapon on kickoffs, he leads the nation in combined touchbacks (58) and fair catches (10) with 68. All three Groza Award finalists will be honored at the organization's banquet (Dec. 5) in Florida.
The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) has announced Oluwatimi as one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy, given to college football's best interior lineman. Oluwatimi's fellow finalists include Pitt's Calijah Kancey and fellow Big Ten representative Northwestern's Peter Skoronski. Oluwatimi is U-M's first finalist for the award since Jake Long (2007) and the program's fifth overall. No Wolverine has ever won the Outland Trophy. One other center (David Baas) was a finalist in 2004.
Oluwatimi anchors the nation's No. 4 rushing attack in the country (244.5 yards per game) which ranks as the Big Ten's best. The U-M offensive line, named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, has boosted the team's run game to 5.97 sack-adjusted yards per carry with nearly three rushing touchdowns per game (35 touchdowns, t-3rd, NCAA).
In the passing game, the Wolverines have allowed only 13 sacks across 12 games. Oluwatimi has been charged with no sacks and only eight hurries on 340 pass-blocking snaps. Oluwatimi is one of two U-M linemen to start all 12 games this year. The tone-setter and signal-caller for the line, he has helped the offense reach No. 7 nationally in points per game (39.8).
Winners for all three awards, and many more, will be announced during the College Football Awards Show on Thursday (Dec. 8).
