ANN ARBOR, Mich. — No Justice Haynes, no problem for Jordan Marshall and Michigan on Saturday.
With the Wolverines’ top tailback sidelined with an abdominal injury, Marshall had to step in and carry the load in their 24-7 win over Washington.
And carry the load he did. Marshall turned in a career game against the Huskies, converting 25 carries into 133 yards and a touchdown, earning a nod from his head coach afterward.
“Outstanding,” Sherrone Moore said. “Ran physical, ran hard, did the little things right. Just played really well.”
Marshall was a true workhorse, too, averaging 5.3 yards per carry while never going for more than 14 yards.
That meant lots of short to medium-sized gains, the kind of carries that help keep the chains moving.
“I just pride myself on running hard,” Marshall said. “That’s how I practice; that’s how I’m going to play. I’m going to push piles, I’m going to hit people. I’m just going to play hard.”
Marshall first got the call for full-time duty last weekend in the loss to USC, when Haynes departed due to injury and never returned. He would turn 14 carries into a respectable 68 yards, but Michigan was so far behind it didn’t matter.
Michigan Wolverines running back Jordan Marshall (23) runs in a touchdown as Michigan football hosts Washington at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 18 2025.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com
Fast forward to this week and the uncertainty around Haynes, the Big Ten’s leading back. Michigan considered him questionable and wanted to see how he reacted during the week. Haynes dressed and went through pregame warmups, only to be scratched before kickoff.
“When one of your brothers are down or not playing, you gotta play for them,” Marshall said. “Justice was doing everything he could this week to get out there and play with his team. Couldn’t go before the game, and I knew Iw as going to have to carry the load today and help this team win.”
Turns out, it was Marshall’s 14-yard touchdown run with 1:20 to play in the third quarter that proved to be the difference. Michigan’s defense ruled the day, limiting Washington and its high-powered offense to just 249 yards of offense, much of that coming in the first half.
In the second half, the Wolverines forced three turnovers and a turnover on downs that helped shift momentum. Marshall answered the bell after Michigan’s first interception, breaking through the line of scrimmage for the score, just his third rushing touchdown of the season.
Before the year, Haynes and Marshall were mentioned in tandem, a desire from Michigan to have two reliable, starting-caliber tailbacks. Haynes separated himself through five games, but injury has now opened the door for Marshall to shine.
Two games later, he’s answered the bell.
“It’s just getting to the point where it’s expected,” quarterback Bryce Underwood said. “Handing off the ball, seeing him get wrapped up a little bit, I’m like ‘yeah, a couple more yards are coming from that.’ It’s just the expectation now for him.”
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