Handing out 4 game balls from Michigan Football’s loss at Minnesota

The Michigan Wolverines fell short in a 20-14 loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday. There weren’t a lot of positive takeaways from the frustrating loss, but four players still deserve a shout out for their individual performances.

Nathaniel Staehling (LB)

Staehling put together his best game in a Michigan uniform, finishing with six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one interception returned for a touchdown. The Minnesota native showed out in his home state, flying from sideline to sideline and returning his first interception at Michigan for a 79-yard score. Even though it resulted in a loss, Staehling can build off this performance.

Troy Bowles (LB)

Bowles continued his impressive start to the season, leading the Wolverines in tackles for the fourth time in five games. The Michigan linebacker racked up nine tackles to go with 1.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback pressures. Additionally, Bowles came on a blitz in the first quarter, getting into the backfield in a blur and leading to an interception.

Smith Snowden (CB)

Snowden happened to be the beneficiary of the interception that Bowles helped create. The Utah transfer came down with his first interception at Michigan and the fifth pick of his career. In addition to the interception, he tied a season-high with four tackles and will attempt to keep the momentum going when the Wolverines return to the field against Penn State in two weeks.

Jordan Marshall (RB)

Marshall didn’t exactly move the needle with his performance against Minnesota, but he was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise disastrous showing on offense. Marshall found the end zone for his third touchdown of the season while also compiling 50 rushing yards on 10 carries. He has posted 50+ rushing yards in each of the last three games.