Michigan’s loss to Iowa is going to linger for a while, and not just because the Hawkeyes marched 91 yards on the final drive to steal a 20-19 win at the horn. The way it unfolded left plenty to chew on, from the late-game play call to the penalties to the final sequence near the goal line.
Kyle Whittingham addressed that mess on Monday, and his comments put a spotlight on several moments that shaped the finish.
On the final play, Whittingham defended the defensive structure while making clear the choice came down to philosophy.
Whitt: "Jay Hill calls the defense and felt that, based on what he was expecting and what we're best at, he thought that was the best structure to be in and so that's the best answer I can give you right now. It's two schools of thought: You play coverage or bring it all, so yeah."
The sequence itself was chaotic. Zeke Berry drew a late hit penalty on Iowa wide receiver Tony Diaz on third down, Iowa then came up with another tipped pass, and with two seconds left John Henry Daley went down hurt, which likely helped the Hawkeyes get the last snap off. From there, Jay Hill chose a QB spy on the deciding play - a call that left plenty of questions behind it.
Whitt also pointed to the third-down decision-making late in the game, saying there are arguments either way but stressing the bigger issue was finishing.
Whitt: "Sure, that third down especially. The third down could have gone either way, and as soon as you throw it and it's incomplete, and they save the timeout, then everyone's saying, 'Why did you not run the ball and make them burn their last timeout?'
"There's arguments from both sides, but the bottom line is we need to do a better job of putting games away when we have control of that."
That theme came up again when Whittingham talked about Bryce Underwood, who was four yards shy of matching his career high in passing yards against the top-rated defense in the country. Underwood finished with 276 yards and two touchdowns, but Michigan leaned on the run when the game was there to be won.
Whitt: "I thought he threw the ball very well, going through his progressions, getting the ball out in time, not holding it excessively. I think he's doing a better job of not getting skittish in the pocket, and he's got more confidence in his offensive line to stand in there and go through his reads.
"He also ran the ball effectively - not as effectively as the Oklahoma game, but still effective. And I thought, like I said, Jordan Marshall and Savion, they each added 50 or 60 yards to the rushing total, which was good to see."
Even with that praise, the late-game approach stood out. Underwood’s last pass attempt came with 5:32 left in the fourth quarter, and after that Michigan’s final drive went nowhere: Savion Hiter gained four yards, Underwood picked up one, Hiter added two more, and the Wolverines had to punt.
Whittingham also addressed Zeke Berry’s penalty, calling it avoidable while noting the broader issue has been Michigan’s discipline.
Whitt: "It was unnecessary. That's for sure.
It wasn't ridiculously flagrant or out of line. You see some of the things that happen - the hit in the USC-Oregon game.
It wasn't just completely heinous, but something that could have been avoided.
"Zeke feels badly about it, and we'll get it corrected. But we've had far too many personal fouls.
We've had eight in four games, and so that's too many. But again, coach better, putting it all on us as coaches."
The penalty may not have been the only reason Michigan lost, but it mattered in the moment. More concerning, though, is the number attached to it: eight personal fouls in four games. That’s the kind of self-inflicted damage that keeps turning close games into losses.
Whittingham’s final notable point came on the goal-line call that ended with Michigan coming away empty-handed. He made it clear he wasn’t sold on the decision, and he put the responsibility on the coaching staff.
Whitt: "Don't like the call. Jason Beck didn't like the call.
He readily admits that. And we've got to do a better job coaching.
It's not like on the goal line where if you break the plane, it's over and you get a touchdown. If you break the plane but then you pull it back because you're not down yet, I mean it's a whole different structure there.
"Again, coaches, we've got to be better in that situation as well. Plenty of things we as coaches have to work on."
That call came on Michigan’s first red-zone trip, when Bryce Underwood was under center on fourth down and tried to go over the pile. He pulled the ball back, and the Wolverines turned it over on downs.
The frustrating part for Michigan is that the performance itself was good enough to win in a lot of ways. The game plan worked for stretches.
The offense moved the ball. But the final details - the call on fourth down, the conservative stretch late, the penalties - were the difference.
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