Quick Reactions: Michigan Football's Win Over Iowa

Offering insight and analysis to Michigan Football's 10-3 win over Iowa.

• Everything good that can be said about Michigan's Homecoming win is reserved for one side of the ball, but that side - the U-M defense - had an outstanding afternoon, recording eight sacks and an additional six quarterback hurries, including the final pressure on fourth down that clinched the win. 

• Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown takes a lot of heat for a stubborn commitment to man-to-man defense that often allows opponents to pick the Wolverines apart on crossing routes, but if a quarterback has less than two seconds to throw the football, crossing routes be damned. 

That was U-M's philosophy on Saturday, and it worked because Brown called up terrific pressure packages that confounded and overwhelmed the Iowa protection scheme, giving Iowa QB Nate Stanley no time to throw. 

Stanley had been flawless in the turnover department in the Hawkeyes' first four games but he was picked three times by the Maize and Blue and posted his lowest completion percentage (54.7) since a 2018 October loss to Penn State, 10 games ago. 

• Junior defensive end Kwity Paye (2.5 sacks before leaving in the fourth quarter with an apparent hamstring injury), senior WILL linebacker Jordan Glasgow (two sacks) and redshirt freshman linebacker Cam McGrone (1.5 sacks) had themselves a day, but really it was the entire front seven of the Michigan defense with five different defenders recording a QB takedown and five recording a QB hurry. 

• The Wolverines' secondary also deserves plenty of praise as it provided blanket coverage consistently throughout the contest. Senior safety Josh Metellus and senior cornerback Lavert Hill had highlight-worthy interceptions, ending a pair of promising Iowa drives. 

• For every bit as good as the defense was, the offense for Michigan was dreadful, averaging just 4.5 yards per play, including 3.6 yards per rush.

• QB Shea Patterson appeared to take a big step forward a week ago in a win over Rutgers, but he regressed considerably - a stat line of 14 for 26 for 127 yards and an interception netted him the worst pass efficiency mark (93.6) of his 18-game career in Ann Arbor. 

Patterson's 93.6 passer rating today is the worst by a Michigan starter since Brandon Peters in the 2017 bowl game against South Carolina (71.9) and the worst at home since John O'Korn against MSU in 2017 (76.1) 

Patterson showed some toughness late, running on a pair of read-option keepers in which he was delivered hard body blows, but the simple fact is he's been more of a liability than a plus for the Wolverines this season, and it's difficult to envision the offense finding its stride if Patterson continues to play this poorly. 

There are a multitude of issues: an inability to look off a first receiver, errant throws, panicking in the pocket even when his line has created a safe haven, and a stubborn refusal to throw downfield even when his receivers are in 1-on-1 situations. 

On the latter, Michigan completed just two passes of 20+ yards, including a 51-yarder to junior Nico Collins on U-M's third offensive drive - a play that seemed like it was there throughout the day. Patterson simply fails to see the opportunities or refuses to throw them, fearing a turnover. Either way, the advantages the Maize and Blue have at wide receiver, with three players over 6-2, are completely wasted. 

• Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis looks to be in over his head. He doesn't know how to establish an offensive rhythm for his team, his #speedinspace offseason rhetoric was just talk, and a week after putting Patterson in comfortable situations by moving the pocket to the edges, he called plays that demanded Patterson stay cemented in the pocket. 

Gattis does his quarterback no favors, nor does he understand how to establish a running game or utilize his ball carriers effectively. 

• It doesn't help that the interior offensive line blocking has been a disappointment. It might be time for fifth-year senior left tackle Jon Runyan Jr., to move inside to right guard, displacing senior Michael Onwenu, and have redshirt freshman Ryan Hayes take over at left tackle (he started the first two games there and continues to see snaps at right tackle in rotation with classmate Jalen Mayfield). 

• A win is a win is a win, and Michigan desperately needed a victory over Iowa, but the Wolverines have shown no sign that they will be able to compete with teams like Penn State, Notre Dame and Ohio State that have, in the early going, demonstrated prolific offenses and stout defenses. 

• If redshirt sophomore QB Dylan McCaffrey can come back from concussion he suffered two weeks ago at Wisconsin, it might be time to give him some run as the offense appears to have a low ceiling with Patterson, too low to win a Big Ten title.