ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan football is off to a 2-0 start in Jim Harbaugh's third season, but there's still a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the offensive side of the ball.
Through two games -- against Florida and Cincinnati -- the offense has scored just four touchdowns despite racking up well over 800 yards.
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There have been positives on offense, including the emergence of young tight ends and a strong start from Grant Perry. But nobody has been as impressive as running back Ty Isaac.
Isaac was expected to be one of three running backs in the regular rotation this season, and that has turned out to be true. Chris Evans and Karan Higdon have been the other running backs featured in the offense, but Isaac has quickly taken a clear lead in terms of production.
Ty Isaac's hot start
In the opener, Isaac received half as many carries as Evans, yet picked up 36 more yards. Isaac averaged 10.4 yards per carry with 114 yards in 11 chances. It was his first 100-yard game since the 2015 season.
It didn't take long for him to get his second.
Isaac followed up Saturday with another 100-yard game, picking up 133 total yards on a team-high 20 carries. It was clear from the start that Isaac was getting starters' carries, as Evans was given the ball just five times.
It's no surprise that Isaac is contributing. It's a huge surprise that he's literally running away with the lion's share of carries this early in the season.
Evans was Michigan's best running back as a true freshman last season, averaging 7 yards per carry and showing an elite ability to produce big plays. He's the best athlete of the top three running backs, but so far, he's struggled to get into a groove.
Isaac wasn't bad last season, averaging 5.6 yards per carry and scoring five touchdowns, but he's more than doubling his counterparts in yards per carry so far. Michigan has 408 rushing yards as a team, and Isaac has 247 of them.
It's possible Isaac is finally living up to the elite talent that made him a five-star prospect coming out of high school.
What's up with Chris Evans?
Throughout the off-season, Michigan fans were cautiously optimistic about the offense because of the speed and athleticism Harbaugh has recruited in the last two seasons. Chris Evans was among the players expected to enjoy a breakout campaign, especially with De'Veon Smith no longer blocking him in the starting lineup.
But that hasn't been the case. Florida wasn't a good matchup for Evans, as its dominant defensive line shut him down between the tackles. The Gators' speed at the second level also negated Evans' greatest asset: his knack for getting to the edge and turning upfield.
Evans has one run of 29 yards, but his other 21 carries went for a combined 49 yards, or 2.3 yards per carry.
He only received five carries against Cincinnati, and didn't get into a rhythm, gaining just 15 yards. In the final 20 minutes of the game, with Michigan desperately needing to pull away from the Bearcats, Evans never touched the football.
Looking forward
Harbaugh doesn't hide who he's confident in, and right now it's clearly Isaac. But that doesn't mean Evans won't take back the top spot sometime this season.
Isaac hasn't shown this type of running ability since he debuted at Southern Cal in 2013, so it's been a surprising breakout. Is it possible something has clicked and Isaac is just a better player? Absolutely, but I wouldn't bury Evans yet.
I still believe Evans has a higher ceiling that Isaac, and it will only take one breakout game for him to inject himself back into the offensive game plan. Harbaugh knows what a valuable dimension Evans adds to the offense with his speed and athleticism, so he'll give him every opportunity to catch fire.
It's also important to remember Evans only got double-digit carries once last season, in the 78-0 rout of Rutgers. He's never been the No. 1 running back at Michigan, so we've yet to see how he really handles it.
For now, Isaac's hot start couldn't have come at a better time. Evans' struggles haven't hurt the Wolverines through two games, and he's bound to break out of it soon. Michigan just needs Isaac to get the job done until then.