The Michigan Wolverines had No. 17 Iowa right where they wanted it Saturday. They controlled long stretches of the game, took a late lead and appeared positioned to escape with another ranked win. Instead, Iowa rallied for a 20-19 victory, leaving Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy struggling to explain how Michigan let it happen.
Michigan’s mistakes accumulated throughout the afternoon. Quarterback Bryce Underwood failed to convert a fourth-and-1 after attempting to leap for the necessary yardage, while a procedural penalty erased another opportunity to extend a drive. Add a missed field goal and a dropped interception, and the Wolverines gave Iowa considerably more chances than Portnoy believed it deserved.
The most damaging mistake arrived during Iowa’s final possession. Michigan defensive back Zeke Berry committed an unnecessary personal foul after a play, handing the Hawkeyes 15 yards when the Wolverines desperately needed a stop. Iowa stayed alive, then delivered a remarkable late scoring drive to stun the Michigan Stadium crowd. In a game decided by one point, that single lapse became the moment Portnoy could not ignore.
“I cannot believe they lost that game,” Portnoy said. “They dominated that game so thoroughly, and then they just kept making mistakes.”
He singled out the late personal foul as particularly frustrating, calling it “so stupid” and arguing Michigan could have ended Iowa’s comeback without it.
Dave Portnoy Sees Painful Irony in Michigan’s Iowa Loss
Portnoy also wondered whether Saturday’s finish was karma for Michigan’s extraordinary escape against Western Michigan. Earlier this month, Underwood connected with JJ Buchanan on a 47-yard Hail Mary as time expired to secure a 13-12 victory. Three weeks later, a desperate final possession ended with Michigan watching another team celebrate. What had felt like the luckiest finish imaginable against the Broncos suddenly looked cruelly familiar against Iowa.
Yet Portnoy’s reaction was not entirely negative toward the Wolverines’ performance. He believed Michigan played its most convincing football in a long time, which only made the result more difficult to process. The offense moved the ball, and the defense repeatedly put the team in position to close out the game before the late breakdown.
“That’s ironically the best by far Michigan has looked in a long time,” Portnoy said, expressing disbelief that it still ended in defeat.
For Michigan, that contradiction may be the hardest part of Saturday’s loss: showing real progress against a ranked opponent while wasting the opportunities that should have sealed the victory.
Dave Portnoy Can’t Believe Michigan Blew Iowa Game After ‘Stupid’ Late Mistake