Michigan's Turnover Defense Shines, But Offense Fails Again in Loss to Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS - No. 24 Michigan fell to Minnesota 20-14 on Saturday, and while the Wolverines' defense finally forced the turnovers coordinator Jay Hill had been craving, the offense continued to sputter in a way that raises serious questions about the team's trajectory just five weeks into the season.

The loss drops Michigan to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in Big Ten play, a start that looks nothing like what coach Kyle Whittingham hoped for in his first season leading the Wolverines.

Did Jay Hill's defense open a new dimension?

Through the first three weeks of the season, Jay Hill was satisfied with the performance of his defense.

“Overall, I'm pretty happy with where we're at,” he said late last month.

But he had one big lament.

“Uncharacteristically, we have not forced as many turnovers as I'm used to,” the veteran coordinator said.

During the previous two seasons at BYU, where he held the same role he does at Michigan, the Cougars generated 53 takeaways, the fifth-highest total over that period.

Michigan, through its first four games this season, had produced only three.

“I don't want to say it's luck, but sometimes the ball bounces your way,” Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham said earlier this week. “Sometimes it doesn't....We've just got to keep practicing and emphasizing it and hopefully the floodgates will open soon.”

They did Saturday. A blitz by Troy Bowles in the first quarter forced Drake Lindsey to unleash an errant pass that floated into the hands of Michigan cornerback Smith Snowden at Minnesota's 37-yard line. The interception awakened the Wolverines' offense and five plays later they reached the end zone to tie the score.

Later in the second quarter, Hill's defense came up with an even bigger play. After cornerback Jyaire Hill attacked Lindsey off the edge, the Minnesota quarterback threw the ball up for grabs. Linebacker Nathaniel Staehling came down with it and zoomed 79 yards for a touchdown, as the Wolverines seized a 14-7 lead.

If not for those takeaways, Michigan would probably have lost by a much bigger margin.

How disappointing was Michigan's offense?

It was far from a spectacular performance.

The Wolverines, after all, manufactured 19 points in their last-second loss to Iowa last Saturday.

But Michigan's offense showed signs of progress against the Hawkeyes. The ground attack offered solid returns against a stingy front. Bryce Underwood had perhaps the best game of his young career, directing a passing game that, for the first time, looked dynamic against a quality opponent. Wideouts Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchanan both flashed playmaking ability while each topping 100 yards receiving.

But on Saturday against the Golden Gophers, the Wolverines appeared inept when they had the ball. Underwood struggled much of the afternoon, completing just 10 of 21 attempts for 101 yards. Even worse, he tossed a pair of interceptions in the second half that helped galvanize Minnesota's comeback.

But Underwood wasn't the only player who flopped. Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter, U-M's top two running backs, gained a combined 59 yards on 18 carries as the ground game crumbled under the pressure applied by Minnesota's defense. Hiter and Marshall were often hung out to dry by an offensive line that suffered multiple breakdowns while conceding three sacks and committing two penalties.

By the end of the game, Michigan controlled the ball for less than 23 minutes and netted just 180 yards. All in all, this was a dismal effort. It was also an unsettling one.

Five weeks in, is the Wolverines' season already lost?

At Big Ten media days, Whittingham did his best to temper expectations heading into his first season with the Wolverines.

“I can't predict how good we can be or where we'll end up,” he told reporters in July. “I can say if we're playing meaningful games in November, that's probably for us a successful season, a chance to have something to build on.”

But that doesn't appear to be in the cards for Michigan. Through the first five weeks, the Wolverines haven't come close to resembling a contender.

They are instead a very flawed team that is already saddled with two losses.

On Saturday, they continued to suffer from self-inflicted mistakes. After four penalty-prone games to open the season, Michigan was flagged six more times against Minnesota. The Wolverines also turned the ball over more than they took it away, the fourth time in five games that has happened. Michigan also had multiple protection breakdowns, dropped passes and special teams gaffes.

By now, the Wolverines' identity has begun to crystalize, and it isn't one they should like.