The Michigan Wolverines are 3-0 after the blowout win over UTEP this past weekend. Next up: the Big Ten opener against the Iowa Hawkeyes this Saturday at The Big House (3:30 p.m., CBS).
Head coach Kyle Whittingham met with the media on Monday morning for his weekly press conference to preview this week’s game. Here are some key things he had to say:
An emphasis on preventing turnovers
The Wolverines have put the ball on the ground six times in three games in 2026, far more than that number should be. Whittingham was asked early on during
his time at the podium about that, and he said they emphasize preventing turnovers in practice every day and there’s “nothing more we can do in that regard.” Furthermore, he equated the slow start against UTEP to the fumbles lost by Bryce Underwood and Savion Hiter.
“We’ve gotta get that corrected. You can’t win a championship or even hope to be in the mix with putting the ball on the ground that often,” Whittingham said.
Asked another question about this later on in the press conference, Whittingham said a couple of the fumbles have been due to players having a loose grip on the ball. “No excuses. As I mentioned, the team that won the championship last year, Indiana, fumbled one time all year.” It sure sounds like they want to put a strong emphasis on this moving forward.
Whittingham on Tommy Carr
Whittingham was asked a very specific question about backup quarterback Tommy Carr regarding keeping a player like him engaged in this era of the transfer portal. Reading between the lines: “What are you doing to make sure Carr doesn’t hop in the portal this winter?”
In response to that, Whittingham started by saying they think highly of Carr, with that dating back to his performance in spring practices. In the UTEP game, Whittingham said he saw some “explosion” on the ground from Carr, as well as the “touch he was able to put on the ball on that touchdown pass to Moa in the end zone, so it was good to see him translate what he’s been doing in practice to a game situation.”
As far as the rest of the question goes, Whittingham mentioned they are going to begin the roster retention process towards the end of the season. “You try to keep them all engaged, and the bottom line is guys that can help you win, you wanna get on the field, and that’s where we’re at right now.”
The TE room
Junior tight end Hogan Hansen returned from his injury on Saturday, playing his first live reps for the first time this season. Whittingham acknowledged that it was nice to have him back on the field and that he’s a “big catch radius guy that Bryce can go to … it’s great to have him back.” Whittingham also said Hansen “brings some things to the table that the other guys don’t,” so I wouldn’t be surprised to see even more of him as the season progresses.
Whittingham also brought up senior Zack Marshall, who “did some good things on Saturday as well. And for the second week in a row, Whittingham mentioned freshman Mason Bonner, who is continuing to progress while the coaching staff tries to “get him a little more integrated as he’s ready for it.”
Quick hitters
- Whittingham acknowledged that while their paths have crossed before, he has a lot of respect for Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz. Whittingham called Ferentz a “great person and an absolute rock solid football coach, and has done it the right way for a lot of years.”
- When asked about if it’s a defensive type of game on Saturday, Whittingham said, “That’s how they’d like it, that’s their MO. They shorten the game and beat you with defense and win in the end … based on the first three weeks, there’s a high likelihood of that.”
- No updates were available for right tackle Andrew Sprague, who missed the UTEP game on Saturday. They hope to know later more today about his status moving forward.
- As far as running back Jordan Marshall goes, Whittingham said he has been slowed by a “nagging injury,” but it sounds like he should be able to play on Saturday against Iowa. “It’s a concern … but (injuries are) just part of the game … you just got to play through it, deal with it as best you can.”
- While the offense took a step in the right direction against UTEP, Whittingham still wants to see more out of the run game, particularly on the perimeter. However, he was pleased with the pass game and the game that wide receiver Andrew Marsh had.
- The same goes for the offensive line, even with the reconfiguring the coaching staff has had to do so far this year. “They all graded out pretty darn good. … I think (the offensive line has) been coming along week by week, and I expect they’re gonna continue to get better as they continue to work with Coach Harding and get more familiar and comfortable with the offense.”
- Channing Goodwin, Salesi Moa, Jaime Ffrench and Kendrick Bell are all fighting for the WR3 job. “The more guys you can go to, the better,” Whittingham said.
- Whittingham is very supportive of the NCAA’s 5-in-5 rule, where college athletes now get five years of eligibility no matter what. Whittingham said it has “greatly enhanced your ability, especially on special teams, that’s what really comes into play is you’ve got a much bigger pool of guys that you can utilize to take roles on special teams, and I think it’s a great role.” Whittingham even went as far to say “I think it’s one of the best things the NCAA has done for a lot of years.”
- Finally, center Jake Guarnera is “playing outstanding … one of the best centers in the Big Ten,” Whittingham said. “I think this O-line will continue to get better each week, and if they do, then our offense is going to continue to ascend as well because it all starts up front.”
