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The Gophers are 3-1, just went into Washington and won, and have a quarterback playing with confidence in Drake Lindsey. They also have one of the most dangerous return games in the country. I still think Michigan is the better team, and I think Saturday looks more like a response than a hangover.
Justin Roh and Joel Honigford of Blue By Ninety break down Michigan’s last-second loss to Iowa. After dominating the majority of the game and the stat sheet, Michigan’s own mistakes cost the Wolverines against the Hawkeyes.
Michigan got Iowa-ed.
That is the simplest explanation for how the Wolverines gained 429 yards, averaged 6.3 yards per play, generated six explosive passes and still finished with 19 points.
Iowa brings one of the best statistical defenses in the country to Michigan Stadium, along with a rushing attack built to drag the game into the fourth quarter. This is not a matchup where Michigan needs Bryce Underwood to throw for 300 yards or one running back to take over. It is a game about staying clean, finding enough explosive plays, and making Iowa play from behind.
Michigan opens Big Ten play against an Iowa team built to punish mistakes and make every possession matter. The Wolverines’ offensive progress finally looked real against UTEP, but Saturday will show whether those answers hold up against Phil Parker’s defense.
Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham met with the media Monday following the Wolverines’ 52-17 win over UTEP and ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Iowa.
Michigan's offense spent the first half making a blowout look much harder than it eventually became.
The Wolverines moved the ball on their opening possession, reached the UTEP 24 and then lost a Bryce Underwood fumble. Savion Hiter coughed it up on Michigan's fourth possession, handing UTEP the ball at the Wolverines' 18 and helping the Miners take a 14-7 lead.
UTEP is Michigan’s last game before Big Ten play begins, and this should not be another afternoon where Underwood has to become the run game because nothing else works. Michigan should be able to control this matchup physically. The interesting part is whether it can use that advantage to fix the things before Iowa.
UTEP comes to the Big House as the kind of opponent Michigan should handle comfortably. That shifts the focus. This week is less about whether the Wolverines win and more about what they can fix, who they can get rolling and which players start to carve out bigger roles before the schedule gets serious again.
There is a version of Saturday where Western Michigan ends up being the best thing that could have happened to this team. Not because needing a Hail Mary to survive a MAC opponent was somehow good. It wasn’t. The value would be in what happened after it.