Kyle Whittingham has fans confused after saying Bryce Underwood is 'trending in the right direction'

Kyle Whittingham has fans confused after saying Bryce Underwood is 'trending in the right direction'

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Kyle Whittingham has fans confused after saying Bryce Underwood is 'trending in the right direction'

Kyle Whittingham has fans confused after saying Bryce Underwood is 'trending in the right direction' originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Kyle Whittingham had a moment of honesty during his weekly press conference.

"We're 3-1, feel like we are 0-4," the Michigan Wolverines football coach said.

While some might disagree with his statement, the feeling of being defeated is evident in Ann Arbor. Whittingham, who came over from Utah during the offseason, is in the midst of his first season with the powerhouse program.

Michigan heads into Week 5 of the college football season with a 3-1 overall record. But dropping the Big Ten opener to Iowa on a last-second play with a 20-19 final stings a bit. Michigan was up 19-14 over Iowa with two seconds left in the game. The Hawkeyes threw a 16-yard prayer to the end zone, and Reece Vander Zee somehow managed to come down with it for the score as time expired. There is no doubt this Wolverines team has escaped the jaws of defeat a few times this season.

Michigan's record doesn't reflect the work of Whittingham, and he knows it. "We're 3-1. One play away from 4-0, one play away from 2-2," he said.

The season-opening controversial ending to Western Michigan could very easily have Whittingham's team with a .500 record on the season. Nonetheless, Michigan is still in good shape as they navigate deeper into the Big Ten schedule.

The success of Michigan's offense is largely tied to Bryce Underwood. The $12.5 million QB has gone through waves during his time in Ann Arbor. The jury is still out on whether he has made progress or not. Whittingham remains optimistic on Underwood.

"I see a lot of things trending in the right direction. The offense, Bryce Underwood as an individual, the offensive line. So I think we've got some things going for us. But, we've still got the things we've already talked about that need to be cleaned up."

Underwood has thrown for 780 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. He has added 192 yards and two more touchdowns on the ground. Not terrible, but also 79th in FBS for passing yards and 78th for touchdowns.

Michigan has wins over Western Michigan, then-No. 11 Oklahoma, and UTEP. The Iowa loss might come back to haunt them later in the season.

Looking ahead, Michigan has a rough road ahead. Half of the remaining opponents are ranked in the latest AP Top 25 poll, including No. 6 Indiana and No. 5 Ohio State at the end of the season.

Michigan hits the road for the first time this season. Whittingham and the Wolverines are looking to earn their first Big Ten win at Minnesota on Saturday (Noon ET, FOX). 

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