Kyle Whittingham says some Michigan football penalties 'drive me nuts'

Kyle Whittingham expressed frustration with a concerning trend in Michigan football's penalty situation. Over recent games, the Wolverines have committed eight or more penalties in three contests, a stark contrast to just two instances in the prior four seasons. These penalties have impacted time of possession, morale, and the final score, placing Michigan 16th in the Big Ten for penalties among 18 teams.

Whittingham acknowledged that some penalties are "the cost of doing business," but he singled out others as entirely avoidable, like eight personal fouls in the team's first month of the season. An egregious example was Zeke Berry's unnecessary roughness penalty, which cost Michigan a win against Iowa. Another instance involved Jyaire Hill committing avoidable penalties, including one that denied his team a game-saving interception, ultimately leading to a Hawkeyes victory.

Whittingham emphasized that while some penalties are inevitable, the "thoughtless" ones that could easily be avoided are particularly frustrating. He noted that the coaching staff is working to address the problem through film review, practice adjustments, and decision-making education. As the team prepares for its upcoming game against Minnesota, Whittingham expressed uncertainty about the availability of key offensive line players, Andrew Sprague, Andrew Babalola, and Rhino Manuel Beigel, potentially leading to yet another offensive line combination change.