Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham dropped a bombshell on Monday, telling reporters his 3-1 Wolverines actually feel like they’re 0-4. Seriously. “Well, we’re 3-1. I feel like we’re 0-4. 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,” Whittingham said. That kind of brutal honesty from a guy in his first season leading the team tells you everything you need to know about their early season vibe.
One Play Away From Everything and Nothing
Whittingham isn’t just venting, either. He’s talking about a rollercoaster start to the year. This past weekend, Michigan was up 19-14 on Iowa with a mere two seconds left. Then, boom, a 16-yard “prayer” to the end zone finds Reece Vander Zee, and the Hawkeyes score as time expires for the win. Just like that, 4-0 vanished. And the “one play away from 2-2” comment? That refers to the season opener against Western Michigan, where a controversial game clock snafu gave Michigan an extra play to convert a Hail Mary and avoid what looked like an upset loss. Talk about living on the edge. They have wins over Western Michigan, then No. 11 Oklahoma, and UTEP, but that Iowa loss stings.
Bryce Underwood Heating Up, But Problems Persist
Amidst the chaos, there are glimmers of hope. Whittingham acknowledged things are “trending in the right direction” with the offense, Bryce Underwood individually, and the offensive line. Underwood has been a case study this first month. After that close call with Western Michigan, Whittingham initially made it sound like the QB job wasn’t locked down. He later clarified, voicing full support for Underwood, who has put up 780 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, plus 192 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground. That’s some serious production! But the coach also made it clear they’ve got major issues to clean up: way too many penalties, a brutal lack of execution in the red zone, and a desperate need to win the turnover margin.
This week, Michigan hits the road to face Minnesota. They desperately need that first Big Ten win of the season to turn the tide. With tough matchups against Penn State, No. 6 Indiana, No. 15 Oregon, No. 23 UCLA, and No. 5 Ohio State still on the schedule, they better figure out how to feel 3-1, not 0-4, and fast.
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.
Leave a Reply