ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham says the Wolverines may be 3-1, but the first month of the season has felt much worse.
“I feel like we’re 0-4,” Whittingham said Monday. “I can tell you that’s how I feel, but we’re 3-1, one play away from 4-0, one play away from 2-2.”
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That narrow margin has made the start of the season an “emotional roller coaster” for Michigan, which suffered its first loss Saturday (Sept. 26) against Iowa on a last-second touchdown to open its Big Ten opener.
Penalties have also plagued the Wolverines, an issue Whittingham repeatedly took responsibility for Monday.
Michigan entered the week ranked 16th among 18 Big Ten teams in penalties, according to Whittingham, and has had penalty totals of roughly 90, 80 and 70-plus in three of its first four games.
The Wolverines had fewer than 50 penalty yards against UTEP last week, which Whittingham said is closer to the standard the team wants.
“We have way too many penalties,” Whittingham said. “We’ve just got to do a better job coaching it, do a better job of heightening the player’s awareness to thoughtless penalties.”
One of those penalties came from defensive back Zeke Berry, whose late hit against Iowa became a significant play in the closing stages of the Wolverines’ first loss.
After watching the replay, Whittingham called the penalty unnecessary but said it was not an egregious play.
“It wasn’t just completely heinous, but something that could have been avoided,” Whittingham said. “Zeke feels bad about it, and we’ll get it corrected.”
Michigan has been particularly concerned about personal fouls.
Whittingham said the Wolverines have committed eight personal fouls through four games.
“That’s too many,” Whittingham said. “And again, coach better, putting it all on us as coaches.”
Whittingham also said Michigan needs to address its formation penalties.
Avery Gach handled the team’s “Rhino” position against Iowa because Manuel Beigel was unavailable and had limited experience there.
Whittingham said Gach played well overall but acknowledged that Michigan needed to prepare him better.
He also declined to blame officials for the penalties.
“I think the officials called a good game,” Whittingham said. “I wouldn’t put anything on the officials in that game.”
The penalties were only one part of Michigan’s frustration against Iowa.
Whittingham identified five areas that he believed could have changed the outcome: penalties, red-zone execution, the turnover margin, a 99-yard kickoff return and the offense’s inability to finish the game with a four-minute drive.
“Any one of those five things were in our favor, we win,” Whittingham said. “But they weren’t, and so you move on.”
Michigan outgained Iowa by a significant margin and held the Hawkeyes to roughly 50 rushing yards, but Iowa won the red-zone battle, and Michigan finished minus-one in turnover margin.
The Wolverines also had a red-zone interception resulting from a communication error.
“We were going in to score,” Whittingham said. “And, you know, there was three or four things that were really disappointing in the game that really tilted the balance of the outcome.”
Whittingham said Michigan’s offense is beginning to find its identity despite the loss.
The Wolverines rushed for roughly 150 yards and produced more than 400 yards of total offense against what Whittingham described as, on paper, the nation’s top defense.
Quarterback Bryce Underwood also drew praise after what Whittingham called his best overall game of the season.
Whittingham said Underwood did a better job working through his progressions, getting the ball out on time and remaining composed in the pocket.
He also praised Underwood’s ability to throw on the move, something Michigan has increasingly incorporated.
“That’s just playing to his strengths as best we can,” Whittingham said.
Still, Michigan’s red-zone offense needs improvement.
Whittingham said the Wolverines are scoring touchdowns on about 58% of their red-zone possessions and have set a benchmark of 70%.
The defense, meanwhile, has largely met expectations, although Whittingham said the unit needs to create more turnovers.
Michigan had several opportunities for interceptions against Iowa but could not secure them, especially on the final drive.
“Sometimes the ball bounces your way, sometimes it doesn’t,” Whittingham said.
The Wolverines also must navigate injury questions along the offensive line.
Whittingham said there was no definitive update Monday on John Henry Daley or Blake Frazier,
but he expects more clarity by Wednesday, when the first Big Ten injury report of the week is released.
“We’re not at a point where we know definitively one way or the other, but it’s starting to come into focus a little bit,” Whittingham said.
Whittingham said Michigan expects Beigel to return if Frazier and Andrew Sprague remain unavailable.
He also said Andrew Babalola is expected to begin practicing next week.
Despite the uneven start, Whittingham said the Wolverines’ goals remain intact with eight conference games still to play.
“By no means” has one loss changed those goals, Whittingham said.
Michigan’s task now is to turn a 3-1 record that feels much closer to 2-2, or even 0-4 in Whittingham’s mind, into a more consistent season.
“We’ve just got to keep together and not fragment,” Whittingham said. “And just continue to battle.”
The unranked Wolverines will head on the road for the first time this season, taking on the Minnesota Golden Gophers at high noon on Saturday.
