Kyle Whittingham: 'Feel like we're 0-4' after Michigan's emotional start

It's not just the fans who've felt the up-and-down swings that defined Michigan football's month of September.

In the first four games of the Kyle Whittingham era, three have been decided by one possession while two were decided on the final play of the game with touchdowns that flipped the result as time expired. The first went Michigan's way, when Bryce Underwood found JJ Buchanan on a 47-yard Hail Mary to stave off a Western Michigan upset and survive 13-12 in the season-opener.

In Week 4, it was the opposite. The Wolverines gave up two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter (they hadn't allowed a fourth quarter touchdown all year prior) including an 11-play, 91-yard drive over the final 1:48 of the game that ended with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Hank Brown to Reece Vander Zee to stun U-M with a 20-19 loss.

Two days later, much like the fan base, the team is still licking its wounds. That includes the head coach.

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"We're 3-1, I feel like we're 0-4, I can tell you that's how I feel," Whittingham said Monday at his weekly press conference. "But we're 3-1 − one play away from 4-0, one play away from 2-2. So, it's been about three of the four games very close, you know, closely contested games.

"It's been an emotional roller coaster in a way."

It's not just the loss, but how it happened. Michigan had multiple chances to put the game away with its four-minute offense, but instead went three-and-out. Offensive coordinator Jason Beck called three consecutive run plays instead of allowing Bryce Underwood even the option to pass (he could've been instructed to simply take a sack or slide to ensure the clock kept running if U-M was worried about saving Iowa time), a conservative approach that ultimately led to Michigan punting just after the two-minute timeout.

Then on defense, U-M had its hands on a potential interception multiple times and dropped each opportunity. After that, Zeke Berry committed a personal foul after Iowa was staring at a fourth-and-12. Whittingham called it "unnecessary."

It led to a tipped pass that picked up 29 yards and gave Iowa one final shot at the end zone with 2 seconds remaining; another play that may not have happened had it not been for John Henry Daley getting injured on the play, staying down and forcing an official timeout.

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Then, U-M had a questionable defensive play call, going with press-man coverage that forced defensive backs to run with their back to the quarterback. On top of it, one of the linebackers was spying quarterback Hank Brown − a seemingly poor decision because it not only took one man away from coverage, but also was one fewer pass rusher.

"It was such a deflating loss because we had it," Whittingham said. "We snatched defeat from the jaws of victory type, you know the old saying, but again, credit Iowa. I mean, that's nothing new to them. That is their game to a T. Hang around, hang around, hang around. Win at the end.

"That's who they've been for years, and so unfortunately for us it played out pretty much how they script it."

Now, No. 24 Michigan (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) travels to Minneapolis for its first road game of the season against Minnesota (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten), which comes into the contest feeling pretty good about itself after beating Washington 27-24 on the road, leading by two scores nearly the entire way.

Michigan had the benefit of four consecutive home games to open the season, something Whittingham said he's never had in more than two decades as a head coach, and was one play away from leaving with all types of momentum.

The offense was better, with Bryce Underwood throwing for a career-high 276 yards and two scores. For the first time in four years, two U-M wide receivers had more than 100 yards receiving in a game.

Whittingham said a lot is "trending in the right direction."

Still, there's no doubt Saturday left a mark. But with a new month on the horizon and new challenges ahead, U-M's head coach doesn't believe the Wolverines' hopes for making the College Football Playoff are dashed.

"By no means, I can’t imagine that one loss is going to do that," Whittingham said. "There’s still a ton of football to be played. We’ve got eight more conference games. So in our opinion – I guess there’s a scenario or two where it’s not in our control – but we feel like everything’s going to be within our control still going forward."

Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kyle Whittingham: 'Feel like we're 0-4' after Michigan's emotional start