Michigan will be without star edge rusher and Big Ten defensive lineman of the year Mike Morris for the conference championship, MLive has confirmed.
Morris was not in uniform for pregame warmups and has been ruled out for tonight’s game against Purdue (8 p.m., FOX), a team spokesman confirms.
He continues to nurse an undisclosed injury described last week by Morris as a “tweak.” Morris played 11 snaps in the Wolverines’ 45-23 win over Ohio State but admitted to be playing at less than 100 percent.
In an interview this week with the Big Ten Network after he was named the league’s defensive lineman of the year, Morris said: “I’m doing a lot better. I’m still trying to get back to full-go. Not being out there with my brothers, it’s been so hard to see them out there grinding without me, fighting without me.
It’s been hard, but they’ve been holding it down — and I promise that when I come back I’m going to hold them down, too.”
Michigan (12-0) will already be without running back Blake Corum, who is sidelined the remainder of the postseason after having having surgery on his left knee.
Corum’s backup, Donovan Edwards, continues to sport a cast on his right thumb. He is in uniform and expected to play after turning in a 22-carry, 216-yard game against Ohio State last week. Look for the Wolverines to also lean on true-freshman running back C.J. Stokes.
