Observations on the loss to Iowa, 19-20
Michigan gained four red zones, but only came up with 10 points; Iowa gained two 4th quarter red zones, and converted both for 14 points. The Hawkeyes couldn't score off the one Wolverine turnover.
Offense gained 429 yards with 153 on the ground, and 21 first downs; they were 5 of 14 in 3rd and 4th down conversions. Bryce Underwood hit 17 of 28 passes for 276 yards and 2 TDs, but he also had a costly red zone interception; he ran 14 times for 36 yards. Jordan Marshall ran 11 times for 59 yards. Savion Hiter ran 14 times for 53 yards; he also had a 19 yard reception. Bryson Kuzdzal ran once for 5 yards. J.J. Buchanan caught 5 passes for 130 yards and 2 TDs. Andrew Marsh caught 7 passes for 106 yards. Hogan Hansen caught 2 passes for 13 yards. Jalen Hoffman caught a 3 yard pass. The Wolverines dominated time of possession by 9 minutes, and it resulted in 9 more offensive plays. Zach Lutmer led the Iowa defense with 12 tackles, Cam Buffington had 11 stops, Landyn Van Kekerix had 10 tackles, and Tyler Brown contributed 9 tackles. Jayden Montgomery had 8 tackles including a sack, and Dehsaun Lee, Underwood's teammate at Belleville, had 5 tackles plus an interception.
Defense was solid until the 4th quarter! The Hawkeyes put together two 4th quarter drives, 7 plays for 75 yards and 11 plays for 91 yards with 2 TDs. Iowa gained 285 yards with 58 on the ground; they had 16 first downs, and were 6 of 14 in 3rd down conversions. Hank Bauer hit 21 of 35 for 227 yards and 2 TDs; he was sacked twice, but wasn't sacked in the second half. The Wolverines could only land one quarterback hit on Bauer; while the Iowa offensive line couldn't establish a running game, they did an outstanding job protecting their quarterback especially when the game was on the line in the 4th quarter. Bauer showed incredible poise in the 4th quarter, and led the offense into the two deciding scores for the win. Kamari Moulton ran 13 times for 44 yards. Reece Vander Zee caught 5 passes for 66 yards, and 2 TDs; he was the player of the game for sure. DJ Vonnahme caught 4 passes for 44 yards. Tony Diaz caught 3 passes for 46 yards. Addison Ostrenga caught 3 passes for 36 yards. Jyaire Hill led the defense with 7 tackles; Rod Moore and Troy Bowles had 6 tackles each. Tariq Boney got a sack, and Dom Nichols combined with John Henry Daley for the other sack. As Coach Whittingham has pointed out several times, this defense hasn't forced turnovers, and that is the mark of a great defense. Our defense is certainly good, but the 4th quarter letdown, and the lack of forced turnovers shows that it is not a "great" defense yet.
Special Teams came up short with a 99 yard TD return by Braeden Jackson that has kept Iowa in the game. Trey Butkowski hit two field goals. Iowa won the special teams scoring, 7-6; that one point edge figured in the final score. Cam Brown punted four times for a 42.5 yard average with one downed inside the 20. Boston Everitt punted 6 times for Iowa with three downed inside the 20; the Hawkeyes outpunted us, and it resulted in a field position advantage for Iowa. Michigan again showed a terrible penalty problem with 8 penalties for 75 yards including some very costly ones in the 4th quarter on those two Hawkeye scoring drives.
Both teams were well-matched, and one could tell from the very beginning that this game would be a close 4th quarter battle. Although it was frustrating to see Michigan lose a game that they led throughout, Iowa's defense held Michigan in the red zone, and stopped the Wolverine offense in the 4th quarter when they had to so they could put the ball back in their offense's hands. Iowa won all three phases: defense, special teams, and offense. While either team could have won, the Hawkeyes rally in the 4th quarter was remarkable. Iowa hosts Ohio State next week, and can prove that they are a contender for the Big Ten Championship with a win at home. Hopefully, Michigan can re-group, and use this loss to improve; certainly, they have a lot of areas that need improving. Go Blue!
