Suspension,Donovan Edwards has been suspended definitely his not playing for….

And in Michael Jordan fashion, Edwards

made lemonade out of lemons. Faced with a third-and-11, the running back made the signature play of his 2023 campaign thus far. Taking the handoff from junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the line collapsed rapidly around Edwards. Making a jump cut, Edwards found an open hole and broke a tackle, sailing 22 yards into the endzone for the score.

Some could think that Edwards’ open flaunting of the play might’ve telegraphed the call. But he wasn’t deterred. When asked if his pre-snap smile made him worried that the defenders would know the ball was coming his way, Edwards had a simple answer:

“I don’t care.”

It’s a swagger that’s only recently woken up. After a season filled with struggles, Saturday’s summiting of the 12th-ranked Nittany Lions was a rare taste of success for Edwards this season. Rushing for 52 yards on 10 carries in addition to the score, Edwards hit his stride on some longer runs — something that he’s been looking for all season. With all of it coming after logging a 37-yard catch against Purdue, Edwards’ game has begun to open up, and he’s been ready.

“Whenever my number’s called I’m gonna be ready to produce,” Edwards said. “Coaches have given me great opportunities and put me in packages and personnelles to be able to catch balls and stuff like that.”

Though Edwards saw just 10 of 46 total carries against Penn State, what stood out often was his patience. After an 173 yard, two touchdown game last season against the Nittany Lions — on just six more carries — the pressure to produce was on. And amid a season of absent production, the pressure mounted.

While it wasn’t a career day by any means, Edwards still stepped up to the challenge. Keeping his poise, Edwards’ two runs of 22 yards were the longest of his season thus far. Sure, there were bumps in the road. Namely, a three-yard rushing loss on first and goal, in addition to a five-yard rush on a third-and-6 that resulted in a punt. But, Edwards’ consistency in the face of the then-first-ranked rush defense in the country was a positive sign of progression.

After 11 weeks of stuffed runs, Edwards found the gaps in the offensive line consistently for the first time all season. And although he didn’t necessarily have the same number of opportunities to produce — as senior running back Blake Corum logged 100 more yards on the same efficiency with 16 more carries — Edwards is content with his role in the system.

“That’s the relationship we got, it’s love between us,” Edwards said of his relationship with Corum. “We not arguing about like ‘He got 26 carries’ I’m not arguing like ‘Bro I should’ve got more’ — I don’t care. We won the game. I made an impact with the 10 carries I had.”

A testament to his belief, Edwards pulled up his phone in the press conference, showing those around him of a photo of Corum’s touchdown score. Semi-blurry, standing in the background on the sidelines, Edwards was there, cheering for Corum.

In reality, 10 carries represents a slight uptick in Edwards’ recent usage. With his third most carries of the season, yet with no receptions for just the second time in 2023, gameflow worked in his favor. Running the ball 32 straight times, Michigan’s offensive attack turned one-dimensional, all to Edwards’ benefit.

The Wolverines maintain that an emphasis on the run-game was the plan against the Nittany Lions going into Saturday. Just as the Penn State pass-rush dominated Michigan’s offensive line earlier in the contest before the Wolverines turned to the ground, the running game will evidently be in line for more opportunities down the stretch. And with that, Edwards may happen to find the ball in his hands more and more.

Just another reason to smile.