Michigan football's hidden weaknesses exposed: What it means for Iowa matchup
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan is 2-0 after a win over Oklahoma that few outsiders saw coming, but head coach Kyle Whittingham's Monday press conference revealed cracks in the Wolverines' armor that Iowa fans should watch closely when the Hawkeyes face Michigan later this season.
Whittingham addressed three key areas of concern: a struggling lead running back, an offense that hasn't opened up, and a penalty problem that ranks among the worst in the nation. For Iowa, these weaknesses could define the matchup when the teams meet in October.
Jordan Marshall remains Michigan's RB1 despite slow start
Jordan Marshall led Michigan in rushing last season and came up just shy of 1,000 yards. His 2026 start has been rough: 44 yards in the opener and just 32 on Saturday, both on 11 carries. Michigan has leaned heavily on its ground game, but Marshall has been far from elite.
“Hasn't got on track quite yet,” Whittingham said. “But Jordan's a great leader and he's RB1. I expect as the season goes on he'll start to become more productive. When you look at last year's tapes, he becomes more productive as the game wears on typically, and the more carries he gets. And so we've got to find a way to do a little better job of getting him on track.”
Whittingham mentioned two other Michigan running backs, calling five-star freshman Savion “a very good back as well” with a lot of potential and Bryson Kuzdzal as “another guy that's in the mix.” Kuzdzal has gotten the carries to start the second half in the first two games. Marshall, though, is healthy, Whittingham said.
“Jordan is the lead guy and we need to try to get him in a little more of a groove than we've been able to do the first two weeks,” Whittingham said.
Michigan's passing offense needs to open up
Whittingham said it immediately after the Oklahoma game and again Monday: The offense needs to open up.
“We don't need to throw for 350 yards,” Whittingham said, “but we need to throw it efficiently and get more out of it than what we're getting right now.”
Bryce Underwood was a mere 12 for 22 for 170 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the opener against Western Michigan. Whittingham adjusted the game plan vs. Oklahoma as a result. Underwood ran more (18 carries) than he threw (17 passes) in the 17-10 win.
Michigan can likely handle UTEP without throwing much. They can maybe get past Iowa too. But Penn State and Oregon, which lurk in October, may require more downfield passing.
“At some point it's going to have to be able to be leaned upon a little bit,” Whittingham said.
Underwood is completing just 54% of his passes. That number needs to improve. Whittingham wants more chunk plays. Michigan has hit just five plays of at least 20 yards this season, ranking 121 out of 138 FBS teams per cfbstats.com.
Penalties plague Michigan, ranking 129th nationally
In both games so far, Michigan has had more penalties in number and yards than the opponent. Michigan ranks 129th in penalties this season, surprising for a Whittingham-coached team. The Wolverines had one first-quarter possession against Oklahoma in which they had two pre-snap motion penalties.
“It's a process and we've got to get that corrected,” Whittingham said. “That'll cost us somewhere down the line.”
Michigan ran into the punter to extend a drive and had a late hit flag when Oklahoma was pinned deep in its own territory. Offensively, Whittingham called the penalties “drive killers.”
“We're just too undisciplined in that regard,” he said.
He would like to see Michigan cut its penalty yardage in half, saying that being between 35 and 50 yards per game is acceptable. Unlike Michigan's passing offense, which Whittingham thinks might take some time, he wants to see the penalties cleaned up immediately.
“Every penalty is a teaching moment and you've got to address it obviously when it happens in the game,” Whittingham said. “And there were some ignorant, thoughtless penalties. That's what you really want to avoid is the ones that (make you say), 'Why'd you do that? That could have been avoided so easily.'”
Whittingham believes he has the team to make improvements there. “They're smart guys, but we've just got to be more disciplined and get rid of those ignorant penalties.”
What this means for Iowa
Iowa's defense, known for its discipline and physicality, could exploit Michigan's penalty problems and limited passing attack. The Hawkeyes have traditionally thrived against one-dimensional offenses, and Michigan's struggles to generate explosive plays could play right into Iowa's defensive scheme.
The October matchup between Iowa and Michigan is shaping up to be a battle of wills: Michigan's ground game against Iowa's stout front seven, and Iowa's opportunistic offense against a Michigan defense that has been solid but tested.
If Michigan cannot clean up its penalties and open up the passing game by then, Iowa could be well-positioned to hand the Wolverines their first loss of the season.