Game balls from Michigan football's 24-7 win over Washington

The Michigan Wolverines moved to 5-2 (3-1 Big Ten) on Saturday with a 24-7 win over Washington, with so many goals for their season on the line.

There were a handful of players on the Michigan sideline who did their part in the Week 8 outing. Here are the game ball picks for this week, with plenty of praise to give out.

Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale

Wink Martindale caught a lot of hell for the way the defense performed last week. There was not a whole lot that went right at USC, and when those breakdowns occur, the coaching staff has to wear that. All that matters is the response to a setback, and there were a lot of tough conversations in the building this week, but Martindale’s defense pitched a near-perfect showing against a very good Washington offense.

The offense has put a lot of pressure on the defense over the last two years, so if Martindale and his side of the ball are not perfect, they tend to take a lot of arrows. Last week’s outrage was justified, especially the run defense, but if you are going to lead with criticism in a loss, you had better give it up when things go well. Washington was held to 249 yards of total offense a week after Demond Williams Jr. had 536 total yards. Saturday, the QB run threat was held to 5 carries for -19 yards. U-M also took star UW tailback Jonah Coleman out of the game, holding him to 16 carries for 50 yards and a touchdown.

A defensive masterclass. You tip your cap to the “OG” for how the group rallied this week.

Linebackers Jimmy Rolder and Cole Sullivan

Michigan’s defensive performance was punctuated by three turnovers, two of which were interceptions hauled in by linebackers Jimmy Rolder and Cole Sullivan. The linebacker play had a spotlight on it after a poor showing and getting picked on in coverage by the USC Trojans. Sullivan’s interception kicked off a four-drive sequence for Washington that went interception, interception, turnover on downs, interception. It was a heck of a job for both of those guys today, who helped accelerate the team to a victory. U-M cashed in with touchdowns on the first two turnovers, which was the turning point in the game.

Sophomore running back Jordan Marshall

Justice Haynes warmed up for Michigan, but the staff decided to hold him out this week and lean on Jordan Marshall to lead the run game. Just like in the ReliaQuest Bowl, Marshall was up for the task, and he finished the game with 25 carries for 133 yards and a 14-yard touchdown that came one play after Sullivan’s interception. He will need an ice bath and some rest early this week, but he answered the call and put together his best performance of the season when it was needed most.

Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood

In any other week, the showing that Bryce Underwood put out might have him leading game balls. It speaks to how strong a performance it was for the team as a whole. This was a very “Jared Goff”-ian performance from Underwood, who was content to take the layup throws and what the defense gave him instead of trying to dazzle on the field. He still did plenty of that, finishing 21-of-27 for 230 yards and 2 touchdown passes, adding 7 carries for 25 yards. This was a big step forward for the freshman, who has done a great job of keeping the ball out of harm’s way in seven starts.

Junior tight end Zack Marshall

Zack Marshall spoke to the media on Tuesday night and said the message for the Washington prep was, “We will persist until we succeed.” Little did we know the California kid would play the role he did in Saturday’s game, with both Marlin Klein and Hogan Hansen out injured. Marshall finished with 5 catches on 7 targets for 72 yards and a touchdown, all career-best marks.

Honorable mentions

Freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh: 5 catches, 49 yards, TD

Junior tight end Deakon Tonielli: 3 catches, 38 yards

Sophomore offensive tackle Blake Frazier: Injury replacement for starting left tackle Evan Link

Senior defensive end Derrick Moore: 3 total tackles, 2 sacks, forced fumble

Sophomore defensive back Jacob Oden: First career interception