Michigan dropped a heartbreaker to Iowa, 20-19, and the self-inflicted wounds from “stupid penalties” are already defining the Kyle Whittingham era. This wasn’t some minor mishap, either. The Wolverines racked up eight penalties for 75 yards, and one absolutely devastating flag sealed their fate against the Hawkeyes. It’s hard to watch when a team shoots itself in the foot like that.
Zeke Berry’s Costly Flag and a Heartbreak Loss
That Iowa loss was a total gut punch. Imagine this: Michigan is up 19-14, Iowa just had an incompletion on 3rd and 12 from their own 40-yard line. Fourth down should have been coming, game almost over, right? Nope. Cornerback Zeke Berry got hit with an unnecessary roughness penalty that flipped everything, handing Iowa a first down and 15 yards. Four plays later, Iowa quarterback Hank Brown connected with Reece Vander Zee for a 16-yard touchdown pass with time expiring. Just like that, 20-19 Iowa wins. Head coach Kyle Whittingham didn’t mince words, saying the penalties were “excessive” and that they needed to “do something about it.” He even highlighted a “couple of really costly ones, particularly on that last drive.” Safety Rod Moore agreed on Berry’s gaffe, calling it a “stupid penalty” and adding, “He’s an old enough guy to understand that. But you’ve got to be smarter.” Talk about a tough pill to swallow.
The Discipline Problem Is Getting Worse, Not Better
This isn’t an isolated incident. The penalty problem is becoming a trend under Whittingham, and the numbers are just brutal. Under the previous coach, Sherrone Moore, Michigan committed eight or more penalties just once in 25 games. Whittingham? He’s done it three times in only four games. Think about that for a second. According to Josh Dubow of the AP, Michigan’s 32 penalties through their first four games are the second most since at least 2000. They’re ranked a dismal No. 109 in fewest penalties nationally. That’s not a stat sheet you want to be on. Remember Whittingham’s comments after their Week 2 win against Oklahoma, where they had 11 penalties? He called the team “too undisciplined” and even warned, “That’ll cost us somewhere down the line.” Well, it cost them against Iowa. Whether it’s illegal formations, holding, personal fouls, pass interference, or running into the punter, they just keep finding ways to get flagged.
Whittingham was supposed to bring more discipline and structure, but right now, it’s just not happening on the field. They are a quarter into the season, and there’s no sign they can just flip a switch on this. If they don’t clean this up, it’s going to be a very long season, and more losses are definitely coming. They’ve got to play clean if they want to turn this thing around.
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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