Michigan RB Blake Corum leaves game vs. Illinois with lower body injury
Michigan running back Blake Corum left Saturday's game against Illinois with an apparent lower body injury after going down in pain.
With under two minutes left in the second quarter, Corum ran right on a carry and went down after sustaining apparent contact to his left knee.
Moments after falling to the turf, Corum grabbed his left knee and appeared to be in considerable pain as Michigan trainers assessed his injury.
ESPN reported that Corum had tears in his eyes as he laid on the sideline being looked over by trainers.
Corum was able to get up off the turf under his own power and walk by himself towards the sideline, but he walked with a noticeable limp and was directed straight to Michigan's locker room with trainers walking alongside him.
Corum returned to the field at the end of the halftime period, running out of the locker room and taking part in team warm-ups, running through drills with the other running backs, and had a minor limp while walking around.
ESPN reporter Molly McGrath said that the initial X-rays on Corum's knee didn't show any serious damage and that he was available to play in the second half.
As he was two plays into the third quarter, when Corum took a handoff for a five yard carry.
Corum is considered the premier running back in college football this season and a contender for the Heisman Trophy.
He leads Michigan with 1,349 rushing yards while averaging 5.9 yards per carry and 17 of the Wolverines' 31 rushing touchdowns, and he ran for over 100 yards in eight straight games.
His presence has been key to Michigan's offensive dominance this season and his potential absence would cut into the team's production heading into next week's critical matchup at Ohio State and in the Big Ten Championship Game should the Wolverines qualify.
This story has been updated with new information after halftime
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