Michigan Running Back Tandem Key to Iowa, Big 10 Challenges

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While multitudes of fans across college football’s landscape spent days spewing venom about Michigan’s final play of its season opener against Western Michigan, quite possibly only die-hard Wolverine fans could recall the first play.

So here’s a hint: It was also a pass from Bryce Underwood to JJ Buchanan, but this was no Hail Mary. It was just an 8-yard quick hitter.

Traditionally, that just doesn’t happen.

For decades, the standard Michigan opening-play marching orders is to run the rock straight into the heart of the opposition’s defensive line, and keep doing it until the defense tires, the holes widen and those 3-yard gains become 11-yard breakaways midway through the third quarter.

At that point, it’s usually game over and another “W” is chalked up for college football’s all-time winningest program.

And even though Kyle Whittingham is the new sheriff in town, don’t expect Maize and Blue culture to suddenly change. Whittingham-coached teams love to run the football and be physical in the trenches.

Which is why Michigan fans can expect junior running back Jordan Marshall – if he is healthy – to continue to be the starting running back over freshman Savion Hiter. Which is a big “if” because Marshall just doesn’t go down on the first hit, or the second and sometimes third.

When Marshall is wrapped up, his shoulders are square to the line of scriamage and he usually falls forward for an extra yard. Marshall’s stalwart style of play simply invites contact and its share of injuries with it.

Marshall, Hiter Duo is Difficult Challenge for Defenses

Hiter has shown flashes of brilliance and his athletic body is built far beyond any other 18-year-old running back in recent memory. Which is why the top-rated running back from the 2026 recruiting class is the perfect compliment to Marshall, and Michigan fans should be salivating. One back breaks down the defense and the other explodes through the aftermath.

More than likely, Marshall and Hiter won’t become Michigan’s version of Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis, known as “Mr. Inside” and “Mr. Outside” when they won a pair of Heismans and shared the cover of Time Magazine playing for Army at the close of World War II. But they could spell a lot of trouble for Big Ten defenses this season.

That all starts at 3:30 p.m. Saturday when No. 18 Michigan (3-0) opens its conference schedule hosting No. 17 Iowa. The Hawkeyes (3-0) bring the perfect defensive test into the Big House, leading the nation defensively in fewest points allowed per game (4.3) and fewest total yards allowed per game (176.7).

Michigan’s offensive line has struggled with run blocking in its first three games but the pass blocking made huge strides this past weekend in the Wolverines 52-17 win over UTEP.

Defensively, Iowa is only yielding 66 yards per game rushing this season and only allowed seven this past week in the Hawkeyes 55-0 win over Northern Illinois.

The Iowa numbers are more than impressive, leaving the Michigan offensive line and running game with its biggest challenge of the season.

But Iowa will have its own challenge: stopping, not one, but two running backs – Marshall and Hiter. And if the tadem get it going, Michigan might be the one spewing venom through the second half and rest of the season.

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Michigan Running Back Tandem Key to Iowa, Big 10 Challenges

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