“Stop Blaming The Symptoms”: CFB Analyst Reveals Michigan’s “Root Cause” Amid Wolverines’ Disappointing 3-2 Start
The Michigan Wolverines have gone from national title contenders to out of the AP Top 25, with the team struggling after a disappointing 3-2 start. Head coach Kyle Whittingham needs to answer a lot of questions for the team as they head into a bye week this weekend.
Michigan’s Wolverines have transformed from potential national champions to being left out of the AP Top 25, suffering a disappointing 3-2 start to the season. Head coach Kyle Whittingham faces a barrage of questions as the team prepares for a bye week. Former Michigan defensive analyst Connor Stalions, a controversial former coach embroiled in the 2023 sign-stealing scandal, offered his insights on the Wolverines’ struggles.
Stalions emphasized that it’s time to move beyond merely criticizing the symptoms of the team’s issues and instead identify the root cause. He highlighted coaching malpractice on a weekly basis, pointing to areas such as clock management, a lack of situational awareness, and making it easy for opposing play callings. Stalions also noted that his former team faced clock management problems during a close loss to Western Michigan.
Despite Whittingham’s reputation for running offenses during his tenure at Utah, the new Michigan head coach has encountered difficulties in maintaining a strong running game at Michigan. Offensive coordinator Jason Beck, brought in from Utah, inherited a No. 2 rushing attack in both 2024 and 2025 from previous coaches Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore, but has been unable to replicate that success at Ann Arbor.
Whittingham and Beck prefer to employ plays that run horizontally, a style that clashes with the habits of Michigan’s players accustomed to a downhill approach.
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