Two seconds of karma? Why Michigan's last-second loss to Iowa will sting a lot more

Two seconds of karma? Why Michigan's last-second loss to Iowa will sting a lot more

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Two seconds of karma? Why Michigan's last-second loss to Iowa will sting a lot more

Two seconds of karma? Why Michigan's last-second loss to Iowa will sting a lot more originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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A significant swath of college football fans will say No. 18 Michigan got what they deserved for the last-second controversy in the season opener against Western Michigan. 

No. 17 Iowa deserves credit for marching 91 yards in 1:37 for the 16-yard, game-winning touchdown pass from Hank Brown to Reece Vander Zee in a 20-19 victory against the Wolverines at Michigan Stadium on Saturday. Maybe the karmic piece was a timeout with two seconds remaining because Michigan defensive lineman John Henry Daley was injured on the previous play and could not get off the field, which allowed for one more play. 

Maybe, but that sounds too easy. The Wolverines can only blame themselves after a late-game collapse in the last-second loss to the Hawkeyes. 

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Michigan leaves room for Iowa on final drive 

Who had Iowa winning with 1:37 remaining? The Hawkeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) trailed 19-14 in a phone-booth, fist-fight with the Wolverines between coaches Kirk Ferentz and Kyle Whittingham that resembled the good-old days between coaches Hayden Fry and Bo Schembechler. 

Michigan out-gained Iowa 429-285, but the Wolverines left points on the board. Sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood – who finished 17 of 28 for 276 yards, two TDs and an interception – was stopped on a fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak in the second quarter and threw a pick in the red zone in the third quarter.

The Wolverines took a 19-14 lead with 11:59 left in the fourth quarter on a 49-yard TD pass to JJ Buchanan – but a missed two-point conversion left just enough room for the Hawkeyes in the final minutes. 

Ferentz previously elected to try a 51-yard field goal with 2:33 remaining – which Caden Burr missed. The Wolverines couldn't get a first down, however, and Iowa had one more possession. 

Is the proper verb for this situation "Ferentz'd?" That's what happened. 

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Inside Iowa's final TD drive 

The Hawkeyes burned their final timeout when Brown was stopped on a three-yard scramble with 34 seconds remaining. Iowa faced a third-and-12. 

That's when the wonkiness began. Daley applied pressure on Brown, who missed receiver Tony Diaz deep down the sideline. But Michigan cornerback Zeke Berry was called for unnecessary roughness for shoving Diaz out of bounds on the play. 

With 11 seconds left, Brown completed a 29-yard pass to tight end Addison Ostrenga across the middle. Instead of a quick snap, however, the clock stopped with two seconds remaining because Daley was injured. 

Brown then hit Vander Zee on a back-shoulder catch near the front pylon for the game-winning TD on the next play – the opposite end zone in which Underwood hit Buchanan for the game-winning Hail Mary for a 13-12 victory against Western Michigan. 

This time, the review confirmed everything right. Two feet down. Touchdown. Iowa wins. Ferentz compared the victory to Iowa's 9-7 win against Michigan at the Big House on Oct. 17, 1981 – but that was one that isn't remembered. It is too far in the good-old days. Ferentz fought back tears. 

"Never won like this," he told Jenny Dell on the CBS telecast. "It's one we'll all remember. Enjoy the heck out of it tonight and get back to work tomorrow." 

This was a timeless victory that vaulted the Hawkeyes toward their home Big Ten opener against No. 7 Ohio State at Kinnick Stadium in Week 5. Iowa is a Big Ten playoff contender under Ferentz, who at 71 years old proved he hasn't lost his composure in those situations. 

But this was more about the Michigan loss. Were those seconds on the clock the college football form of justice? 

Where does Michigan go after wild September? 

Kyle Whittingham's arrival was supposed to bring an heir of stability to Ann Arbor. To date, Michigan won a game it should have lost against Western Michigan in the opener. Underwood's 47-yard Hail Mary to Buchanan was the result of a second being put back on the clock, which prevented a stunning Broncos' upset in the opener on Sept. 5. 

Then, the Wolverines upset No. 11 Oklahoma 17-10 in Week 2 before playing two very different halves in a 52-17 blowout against UTEP in Week 3. 

Michigan played better against Iowa. Jordan Marshall (11 carries, 59 yards) and freshman Savion Hiter (14 carries, 53 yards) provided a steady running game against Iowa's nasty defense, and Underwood shook off those mistakes. But the Wolverines couldn't get one first down to close the door, and Iowa took advantage in the last two minutes. 

Berry's penalty was horrible. Daley's injury was unfortunate. Michigan had eight penalties for 75 yards and the one turnover in a small-margin Big Ten game that resulted in the first – and some would say technically second – loss. It's on the Wolverines. No question. 

It's a major missed opportunity, too, when you look at the remainder of the schedule, which features No. 13 Penn State, No. 5 Indiana, No. 20 Oregon and Ohio State, not to mention home games against improved Michigan State and UCLA teams. Whittingham will have to learn from that — nothing is taken for granted in a hyper-competitive Big Ten. Michigan Stadium makes for a hell of an amphitheater for all that drama, too, but the impact will be felt later. 

This loss will come back to haunt Michigan – more than the victory against Western Michigan ever could.

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