Jordan Marshall on offense, Mason Curtis on defense open eyes in Michigan win: 'Absolute studs'
Michigan hammered Northwestern, 50-6, which was surprising in itself. The Wolverines hadn’t scored 30 points in a game since the opener with Fresno State, and they needed a pick-six to get there.
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But this one got out of hand in the second half, and Michigan fans finally got to see a glimpse of the future when some of the freshmen took the field. Two, especially — running back Jordan Marshall and safety Mason Curtis — caught everyone’s eyes with their play.
Marshall returned a kickoff 63 yards, using a nice, early cut to find a seam after a Michigan safety. He showed nice power and burst on runs of 8, 6, and 5 yards and put his head down to pick up a fourth and 2 late in the game, getting the 2.
“He’s a stud. He’s an absolute stud,” Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore said. “He’s going to be really good. We’ll dictate how good he’s going to be as we go through the year, but he’s a star in the making.
“I thought all those [young] guys played well. Jordan was more of the featured guy, but you saw Micah Ka’apana get the ball later on. He’s like lighting in a bottle. Those young guys are going to be really good, that whole freshman class.”
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Ka’apana took an end around pass for four yards in showing some nice speed. On defense, Michigan safety Mason Curtis showed great instincts and hands in notching his first career interception and was all over the field.
“The crazy thing is, he got on campus, and we really didn’t know where we were going to play him,” Moore said. “He’s been playing really well. He’s an absolute stud … 6-4, 6-5, long, like Spiderman out there roaming the field. He played SAM [linebacker], he played receiver, he played D-end, he played safety in high school. He played all those positions in high school, so we had to try to figure out what was the best fit.
“We put him at safety, and he’s just been unbelievable. He’s a tireless worker, a great human being, but he’s got a great skill set. So, he’s going to be really good.”
Young Michigan safety Brandyn Hillman, too, played really well, Moore said, as did others.
“A whole bunch of young guys that are really good,” he said. “I’m just excited for the whole group.”
