Michigan football just got smacked 15-6 by Michigan State, and their offense looked absolutely dead out there. You’d think that kind of performance, with just 192 total yards and only two third-down conversions, would mean a change for offensive coordinator Jason Beck. But head coach Kyle Whittingham is holding off on pulling the trigger, at least for now. He says the plan is to reevaluate after the season.
The Offense Was Stuck in Neutral Against a Shorthanded MSU
Let’s just be real, this was painful to watch. The Wolverines scraped together a pathetic 192 total yards against a Michigan State defense ranked No. 64 in the country, a unit that was reportedly extremely shorthanded and playing a ton of backups. Five sacks, only 54 rushing yards, and going 2-for-10 on third downs? That’s not just bad, it’s a breakdown. The only touchdown came with a minute and 35 seconds left in the game. You watched it, I watched it, and at no point did that offense feel like it could actually drive the field and score. It was a moribund attack, plain and simple.
Whittingham’s Tough Talk and That $9 Million Question
So, with all that going on, you’d expect Whittingham to be ready to make a move, right? Nope. When asked directly if he’d move on from Beck, he flat out said, “Not right now. As I’m sitting here at this podium, no.” But he followed it up with the cold hard truth: “But at some point we’ve got to have results. I mean, it’s a result-driven business. And it’s a bottom-line business.” He made it clear they’ll “determine what the best course of action is” after the season. You can feel the pressure building.
It’s even more intense when you remember that Jason Beck is reportedly the highest-paid offensive coordinator across all of football, including the NFL, and he’s got a staggering $9 million buyout. That’s a huge financial commitment for a unit that’s struggling this much. Remember earlier this year against Penn State? The offense actually came alive when they benched Bryce Underwood and put in true freshman Tommy Carr. But when Carr struggled against MSU, they *didn’t* go back to Underwood, who didn’t take a single snap. Whittingham admitted that was a conversation they had, saying they “should have done that” in hindsight. Oof.
Michigan has some serious issues, and the schedule ahead is brutal. Up next, they face Oregon in Eugene, then host an undefeated UCLA squad, before hitting the road again to face 6-3 Ohio State in Columbus. Whittingham says they’re not giving up on the season, that the kids in that locker room have pride and want to win. But they’ve absolutely got to find a way to get back on track, and fast. It all starts with Oregon in Eugene.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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