Michigan Wolverines squander multiple opportunities to steal a win vs. Minnesota, and it speaks to a larger issue
The Michigan Wolverines lost their first game in Minnesota since 1977, and it’s a story of missed opportunities.
Saturday afternoon was not a good one for the Michigan Wolverines at Huntington Bank Stadium. The Minnesota Golden Gophers beat Michigan 20-14, handing the Wolverines their first loss in the state of Minnesota since 1977.
It was a brutal game for a multitude of reasons. Quarterback Bryce Underwood played poorly, and the offense and special teams committed multiple turnovers. Along with that, the time of possession differential in the second half was lopsided. Even so, the most frustrating part is that Minnesota tried to hand Michigan the game twice, and the Wolverines couldn’t take advantage either time.
Michigan blows opportunities to steal win vs. Minnesota
The first time the Gophers tried to give it away came at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Minnesota scored a touchdown to go up 19-14, and the situation called for a two-point attempt. However, Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck, being the conservative coach that he is, opted for the extra point.
Analytically speaking, that’s not a smart decision that late in the game. A two-point conversion would have pushed the lead to seven points. Instead, the 20-14 margin left Michigan in position to win with a touchdown and an extra point.
That’s exactly what the Wolverines needed to take advantage of, and they never came close. After that Minnesota touchdown, Michigan managed just 72 yards of offense. Those possessions produced two punts and a turnover on downs. It’s hard to win a road game in the Big Ten when you can’t move the ball with the game sitting right in front of you.
The second opportunity came on the final drive. With less than two minutes remaining, the Wolverines had an injury to wide receiver J.J. Buchanan, which stopped the action.
Coming out of that stoppage, Underwood had thrown an interception. However, the Gophers, a team that isn’t as well managed as you would hope, had 12 men on the field coming out of a timeout. That forced Minnesota to call timeout on itself. The play still went on, and Underwood threw the pass that was picked off, but the timeout gave Michigan a second chance at life.
That in itself is a frustrating element for the Wolverines. Michigan had every chance to capitalize. Instead, here’s what the rest of the drive looked like:
- 0-yard run
- 6-yard run
- Incompletion
- 5-yard pass
- Incompletion
- Incompletion
That sequence ended in a turnover on downs, and with it, the game was over.
The Wolverines had opportunities to take this game from the Gophers and didn’t. That speaks to a larger problem in Ann Arbor.
It’s not that this Michigan team lacks talent on the roster. Now, is it as talented as Wolverines teams of years past? No, it isn’t. That being said, the gap between the talent on the field and the football being played is too wide. This group should be playing much better football than it showed against Minnesota. That starts with Underwood, as he’s been the biggest culprit of poor play.
The coaching element is the most frustrating piece of the puzzle, which gives Kyle Whittingham multiple questions to answer. When an opponent makes a questionable fourth-quarter decision and then commits a self-inflicted error on the final drive, the better-coached team usually walks away with the win. Michigan didn’t, and that falls on the staff as much as it does on Underwood or the offense.
It was a very frustrating day for anyone with a rooting interest in the Wolverines. Minnesota left the door open twice, and Michigan never ran, let alone walked through it. Whether this team can turn that around will define the rest of its season.
