Kyle Whittingham: Michigan faces tough decisions on offense - Wolverines Wire

While the Michigan football defense has long been the standard-bearer of excellence, there were high hopes the offense could finally match that standard.

Kyle Whittingham brought offensive coordinator Jason Beck with him from Utah after Beck had the No. 4 offense in the country for two straight years. However, the run game, which theoretically should have thrived in Ann Arbor given Beck's track record, has been anemic at best and dysfunctional at worst. Through five games, the only thing that can be said of the Wolverine offense is it's consistently inconsistent.

Unless you count the consistency of turnovers and penalties.

Saturday's 20-14 loss to Minnesota had the worst offensive output since Michigan's loss to Ohio State last season, when the Wolverines mustered 163 yards. In Minneapolis, the maize and blue managed just 17 yards more than that low bar. Thus, after the game, Whittingham said a thorough reevaluation of the offense is necessary.

"Well, we're certainly going to analyze every single possibility," Whittingham said. "You're right, it's been completely ineffective. Most of the times, not on that -- we still are so far away from where we need to be on that side of the ball. We're going to look at it from all angles, like I said.

"We've got a week off -- not the week off, but a bye week -- to try to figure out our problems, because we've got enough problems to occupy our time, I can tell you that."

Whittingham doesn't want to fully throw the baby out with the bathwater, but he recognizes that there's nothing changing for the positive.

There were some high hopes after the loss to Iowa last week, given that the offense drove the field regularly, though turnovers and penalties were the issue there. On Saturday, the Wolverines weren't even driving the field. They weren't doing anything but turning the ball over and shooting themselves in the foot.

Thus, Whittingham said nothing is sacred.

"We'll look at everything," Whittingham said. "I don't want to sit here and make a decision without watching this tape, but we've had some good individual performances so far this year, and stretches, and certain games. Positive, the defense has played well the entire season. There's been a lot of good things going on in the defense, but it gets to the point where they just can't hold up anymore, and unfortunately that reached that point in the second half today."

Though he still has to watch the film, Whittingham said there are a few things that are easily diagnosed. Here are the issues as he sees them at this juncture, though he knows he'll see more when he turns on the tape.

"Not scoring points, not getting the end zone. That's probably the biggest thing," Whittingham said. "We're turning the ball over. We turn it over far too often. Run game has been spotty, awful today. Way under 100 yards. Throw game was not much better. 100 yards, throwing the football, something like that. So we have got, like I said, we've got, as coaches, a big challenge in front of us."

Whittingham is certainly displeased with Beck given what has transpired through five weeks. Beck had a quick turnaround coming from New Mexico to Utah last year, but those results haven't been replicated in Ann Arbor. In the postgame, he spoke sternly about Beck, but he recognized there are conversations to be had before he makes any kind of decision.

"Well, we'll sit down with him, and I'll sit down with the entire offense, and get everybody's input and everybody's perspective," Whittingham said. "I mean, we're frustrated. With coach Beck and his track record, he was outstanding as an offensive coordinator. So we might have to make some tough decisions here. We'll see. But, you know, right now, to this point, through this portion of the season, it's unacceptable. The results are unacceptable right now. I don't have any specifics for you. I'm not pointing fingers. Certainly, I'm not pointing fingers at the players. But something's got to be resolved."

Whittingham further elucidated that everything is up for reevaluation: coaches, players, all of it.

"Coaches are always being evaluated. Everything's in play," Whittingham said. "Everything's in play. What you don't want to do is panic. Like I said, we're 3-2. There are a few positive things. But we've got seven games left, and we've got this opportunity to right the ship. As much as we can."