Michigan Football: 5 Things Kyle Whittingham Said From Iowa Loss, Ahead of Minnesota

Here are five things Kyle Whittingham said on Monday and what they mean.

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It's a new week for Michigan after the Wolverines suffered a heartbreaking loss to Iowa this past weekend. The Hawkeyes moved the ball 91 yards on the final drive to score a game-winning touchdown as time expired to beat Michigan, 20-19.

A road game against Minnesota is on the horizon, but first, let's take a look at five quotes that matter from Kyle Whittingham's press conference on Monday.

On final defensive play of the game

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."

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Our take: It was a bizarre play, actually, a bizarre sequence. Not only did Zeke Berry commit a late hit penalty against Iowa wide receiver Tony Diaz on third down, but the Hawkeyes would catch yet another tipped pass. Then, with two seconds left, John Henry Daley fell to the ground hurt, which likely allowed Iowa to get the final play off.

And to end it all, Jay Hill opted to run a QB spy on the final play of the game. Which, to this minute, makes no sense. We get that Kyle Whittingham isn't going to blast Hill for the play call, but Brown would never scramble 16 yards for a touchdown. Either Nathaniel Staehling could've dropped back in coverage or gone after Brown, not standing and waiting to see if he would run.

Would the end result have changed? Who knows, but the call itself is mind boggling.

On not putting ball in Bryce's hand on final drive

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."

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Our take: Bryce Underwood, for playing against the top-rated defense this past Saturday, was four yards shy of tying his career high in yards thrown. He passed for 276 yards and two scores, yet when it mattered most, Jason Beck opted to lean on his rushing attack.

On Michigan's final drive, Savion Hiter ran for four yards, Underwood for one, and then Hiter for another two yards, which forced Michigan to punt. And then we know what happened next. Underwood has only improved since Week 1 and, at some points, you have to trust your quarterback to win you a game.

Bryce's play against Iowa

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."

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Our take: This quote even further makes no sense that Jason Beck wouldn't trust Bryce Underwood when it mattered. His last pass attempt was at the 5:32 mark of the fourth quarter. It was an incomplete pass, but it doesn't matter, Underwood was the offensive MVP of the game.

Until Michigan can prove it can run the ball at will, as it could from 2021-23, then you have to lean on Underwood — especially if he is playing at his best.

Zeke Berry's penalty on the last drive

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."

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Our take: It's a little shocking Kyle Whittingham took the high road on Zeke Berry's penalty. His penalty alone might not have cost the Wolverines the game, but Iowa would've had a fourth down play coming up, and it was a big penalty in the moment. But what's more concerning is that Michigan has had eight personal foul calls in four games.

At some point, the discipline has to get under control, or the Wolverines are going to suffer more losses this season that they should win. Michigan dominated Iowa statistically, but the Hawkeyes won the only key metric that matters.

On missed fourth-down by Underwood

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."

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Our take: Another call that made no sense in real time or now. The first time Michigan had the ball in the red zone, Jason Beck opted to have Bryce Underwood under center on fourth down and go up over the pile. Of course, Underwood had to pull the ball back to him, and the Wolverines turned the ball over on downs.

Beck had a good game plan against Iowa and Michigan was executing well, but Beck's fourth-down call was poor, and his decision-making on Michigan's final drive was also very questionable.

Sign up for the Michigan Wolverines on SI newsletter for more free coverage