For Bryce Underwood, the defeat against Iowa came despite what was arguably his best performance of the season. His personal milestones, however, were overshadowed by the final score on the board.
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Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham praised his offense for its performance and stood firmly behind his players despite the heartbreaking loss. However, Michigan fans are directing their criticism toward the head coach rather than the players.
“So you f***** up, Kyle,” one fan commented after the Whittingham press conference. “That’s how it works in big boy football. Players executed and dominated the trenches, WB played well, and you choke away the game with conservative play calling and continued lack of discipline with penalties.”
Michigan led for much of the game, but Iowa went ahead 14-13 early in the fourth quarter. Bryce Underwood’s 49-yard touchdown pass to JJ Buchanan restored Michigan’s lead at 19-14. The Hawkeyes then scored on the final play to win 20-19.
The team committed eight penalties for 75 yards against Iowa, bringing its total to 32 penalties for 289 yards through four games. Those mistakes took attention away from Bryce Underwood’s strong offensive performance. Some fans believe Whittingham is not getting the most out of his players and see the penalties, rather than the players’ ability, as the bigger concern.
That lack of discipline has become a growing issue for Whittingham’s team. Dave Portnoy also criticized Michigan after the loss, saying “stupid penalties and stupid mistakes” cost the Wolverines the game.
Fans’ frustration has also prompted comparisons between Whittingham and former Michigan coach Brady Hoke.
“Guy is Brady Hoke. Acts is surprised at every situation,” one fan said.
Hoke faced similar criticism over penalties and once offered a familiar-sounding assessment: “We’re not playing the football we need to play… We’re not playing well enough.” Michigan fired him in 2014 after a 5-7 season.
Still, the touchdown wasn’t enough to keep Michigan unbeaten; the Wolverines fell to 3-1 after the 20-19 loss. He recorded 2 passing TDs, and both were to J.J. Buchanan. His most spectacular moment came early in the fourth quarter when he stepped up under pressure, rolled to his right, and fired a 49-yard touchdown strike to J.J. Buchanan. Still, it wasn’t enough to hold the ball for a going-on to a 4-0 score.
Even fans believe that “Bryce has his best game, so we decided to take the ball out of his hands. ”
While the performance was stellar, two specific moments ultimately left the door open for Iowa’s walk-off win. In the first half, Underwood was stuffed short during a 4th-and-1 quarterback sneak attempt.
Early in the third quarter, Underwood threw a red-zone interception that Deshaun Lee, his former Belleville High School teammate, caught at the Iowa 2-yard line. The play appeared to involve a miscommunication with Andrew Marsh and cost Michigan a scoring opportunity.
Another fan gave his review of the QB. “Except even in his best game they can’t trust him at all after another red zone int & jumping like a frog on 4th & inches instead of actually sneaking it.”
Michigan got a career-best passing performance from Underwood, but the missed chances and penalties proved costly. The loss leaves Whittingham with a clear task: clean up the mistakes without losing what worked on offense.