Michigan playmaker delivers in the clutch in nailbiter victory, but late injury sparks concern on season outlook
Jordan Marshall delivered for the Wolverines over Northwestern, but an already overworked player went down with an injury late, sparking controversy
In another poor showing, the Michigan Wolverines almost coughed up their College Football Playoff hopes in a clunker 24-22 victory over Northwestern. It took a last second field goal for the Wolverines to overcome a mediocre game, as Michigan looked out of sync and lost for most of the game against the Wildcats, committing multiple turnovers and bad penalties.
If there was a silver lining to…whatever that performance was by Michigan, it was the play of running back Jordan Marshall, who has stepped up in relief of Justice Haynes as the Wolverines’ bellcow back. Marshall popped for 142 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 19 carries, and virtually carried the entire Michigan offense until an injury sidelined him in the fourth quarter.
Injury Report for Jordan Marshall all green
After the game, Sherrone Moore said that the initial results on Marshall’s injury were “positive” and X-rays came back negative on anything serious, quipping “We will give him an ice pack and a masseuse”. Michigan can’t afford to be down Marshall for an extended period of time, as they are already missing Justice Haynes, who could be out for the rest of the season. Given Michigan’s injury “luck” this season, Moore’s quotes haven’t inspired much optimism from the fanbase.
In relief of Marshall, Bryson Kuzdzal stepped up to the plate, with 53 yards of his own on 15 carries. He didn’t deliver much in terms of big plays, with his longest run being just eight yards, but he wore down the Wildcats and converted some much-needed first downs on the game-winning drive.
It was fortunate that Michigan could lean on their running attack, as their passing game was once again mostly clunky. Andrew Marsh wracked up plenty of production, but the rest of the team left much to be desired, including a pair of disastrous turnovers by Bryce Underwood. There have already been plenty of questions surrounding Marshall’s workload in the wake of Haynes’ injury, and today’s game won’t quiet that noise.
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