Michigan fans are used to seeing three – or sometimes four – running backs play in a single game. But the Wolverines used only Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings in a 30-10 win over Fresno State on Saturday. The running game was nothing special, but efficient enough thanks to a great second half from Kalel Mullings. Starter Donovan Edwards gained 27 yards on 11 carries and Mullings finished the game with 92 yards on 15 carries.

While sitting in the booth, sophomore Ben Hall appeared to be next in line behind Edwards and Mullings, but the bowling ball-like runner never saw the field. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, running backs coach Tony Alford said he failed as a coach by letting Hall see the field on Saturday against the Bulldogs.

Alford said Hall has earned the right to play for Michigan this season. But the key for Hall is to run vertically, not horizontally. Alford believes if Hall can run north and south, he’s one of the toughest running backs to bring down, and he hopes to see him play on the field soon.

“Yeah, you know, I wanted to get him in the game,” Alford began. “And to be completely honest, I failed to get that done as a coach again. And I told him that. And I have to find ways to get him in the game because he’s earned the right to do that. He’s had a really, really good summer. As far as training camp goes, he’s had a really good experience the last week and a half, two weeks. He deserves opportunities to play. I think it’s hard to get him on the ground when he’s running vertically. When he starts running sideways, he gets very average. And he knows that. And I’m not saying anything inappropriate. So I don’t want to upset him or his family. But I told him that when he’s running vertically downhill at you, he’s hard to contain. So we’re continuing to drill into him to do that.

“But he’s a really good player and has an opportunity to just continue to grow and expand his role in this offense. But I’m excited about him as a player and as a young man. He’s always asking how he can get better. In fact, I just got a text when I came in that said, ‘You know, Coach, you talked about leadership. What else can I do to help lead?’ And so he’s always looking to learn and to get better. So I’m excited about him.”

After Hall, freshman Jordan Marshall, the former Mr. Ohio running back, could be next. The former Ohio State running backs coach said Marshall is a dynamic running back and, like Hall, wants to find a way to get him on the field. Alford hinted that fans could see him play as early as Saturday against Texas.

“Yeah, I think Jordan is going to be a very dynamic football player,” Alford said of the rookie. “He’s an excellent player. I think he’s got an incredibly bright future ahead of him. He’s smart. The kid studies the game. That’s important to him. He’s shown throughout training camp that he’s capable of making plays. Now we just need to get him out there and get him to do it, and I hope we can get him on the field this weekend.”

The problem with getting Marshall on the field right away is the number of plays the offense has per game. Michigan is typically one of the slower teams and doesn’t run 70 or 80 players per game. Michigan ran 56 offensive plays over the weekend, with all of the runs going to either Edwards, Mullings or quarterback Alex Orji.

Alford reiterated that while Marshall also earned the right to come on the field, it was all about the flow of the game and balancing things out.

“No, I think it’s just an opportunity,” Alford said of Marshall’s lack of field appearance. “I think we made 56 plays, something like that. So that’s not a lot of plays. And we’ve already talked about, what, three?… So that’s four guys aside. So we made 56 plays. So a lot of things are just game situations. And where are we at in the game and the flow of the game? And to your question: Does a player have to get in rhythm? Does a player have to carry the ball 20 times a game? Well, if he carries it 20 times and you’ve only had 56, that’s very limited for everybody else. So which one do you want here?

“But yes, he will earn his right to get on the field, which he already has, in terms of the time he needs in the game and the situation. But he will be a great player here. There’s no doubt about that.”

You can see Michigan’s running backs in action against Texas on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. ET.

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