If it wasn't for Michigan's defense Saturday night, we could be having a totally different conversation about the Wolverines on Sunday morning. Defensive coordinator Jay Hill had his guys ready for all that Western Michigan had to throw at them, but it seems like it wasn't enough for Kyle Whittingham.
When Michigan's offense couldn't do anything, and I literally mean nothing, the defense continued to bail them out drive after drive. The Broncos dominated the time of possession, holding onto the ball for over 40 minutes compared to Michigan's nearly 20 minutes. Being on the field that much means they might be inclined to give up a few points here and there.
The defense kept Western Michigan out of the end zone, forcing the Broncos to settle for only field goals all night long. Even with that knowledge, Whittingham didn't love what he saw from his defense.
"We have a lot of things to fix," Whittingham said. "We didn't stop the run, run the ball well, or win the turnover margin, get enough first downs.
Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham postgame: "This game will go down in Michigan history — I don't know if it'll be positive history.”
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) September 6, 2026
"We have a lot of things to fix. We didn't stop the run, run the ball well, or win the turnover margin, get enough first downs. All of that is… pic.twitter.com/x7A5B9AzvE
The Michigan defense is the only reason the Wovlerines had a chance to win in the end
Western Michigan quarterback Broc Lowry threw the ball for just 89 yards and no touchdowns. Overall, the Broncos had 132 rushing yards and no touchdowns, totaling 221 yards of offense. Michigan, on the other hand, had 170 passing yards from Bryce Underwood and 106 rushing yards for 276 total yards of offense.
Those numbers make it seem like Michigan's offense outplayed Western Michigan's, when that is the complete opposite of how the game went down. The Broncos dominated on offense all night, methodically working their way down the field and tiring out the Michigan defense.
Being on the field for over 40 minutes of play is a lot for even the best defenses, while also knowing you are getting no support from the offense. If it were not for this Michigan defense, everyone would be talking about how Michigan got upset by a team from the MAC and started off the season 0-1 in the Whittingham era.
Sure, Michigan's defense should have gotten off the field on big third downs, or worked to stop the run better, but when it mattered most, the defense got the job done either with a big sack from Dom Nichols or a tackle for a loss that forced a tougher field goal.
The only part of Whittingham's statement that can be agreed with is that Michigan didn't win the turnover battle. Granted, it doesn't help when the offense and special teams turn the ball over three times, but Michigan needed a takeaway and was never able to find one.
Hill was adamant in fall camp that one of Michigan's keys to being elite was winning the turnover battle and bailing out the offense when it struggles. The defense bailed out the offense a lot Saturday night, but getting no turnovers can't be something the defense was proud of.
Hopefully, the Michigan defense gets some good rest this week because facing John Mateer and the Oklahoma offense will be a lot tougher than facing Lowry and the Western Michigan offense.
Add us as a preferred source on Google