# Whittingham's first statement win at Michigan

> Michigan beat No. 11 Oklahoma 17-10 with defense and a running quarterback, and Urban Meyer handed out an A+.
- Title: Whittingham's first statement win at Michigan | Shortify
- Summary: Michigan beat No. 11 Oklahoma 17-10 with defense and a running quarterback, and Urban Meyer handed out an A+. One statement win buys a new coach the locker…
- Keywords: college football, michigan, kyle whittingham, urban meyer, bryce underwood, sports, Whittingham's, first, statement, win, Michigan Wolverines On SI
- Source: Michigan Wolverines On SI — https://si.com/college/michigan/football/michigan-hc-kyle-whittingham-earned-a-grade-oklahoma-urban-meyer-agrees
- Published: 2026-09-15T19:00:01+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: college football, michigan, kyle whittingham, urban meyer, bryce underwood, sports
## An old-fashioned Michigan win
Michigan hosted No. 11 Oklahoma as the underdog and won anyway. No tricks, just the kind of game the program used to be known for.
## Whittingham wanted better
The first-year head coach was not happy with how Michigan squeaked past Western Michigan in Week 1. He promised improvement and got it a week later.
## Defense and a running QB
The formula was simple: a stifling defense plus making quarterback Bryce Underwood a real part of the run game.
## Final: 17-10
Michigan held Oklahoma to 10 points and won by a touchdown. A low-scoring, grind-it-out result that matched the game plan.
## Meyer gives it an A+
FOX analyst and former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, a friend of Whittingham, graded the performance an A+ and joked about the reaction back in Columbus.

> I got to be careful flying into Columbus, Ohio. I might get assaulted.
## The Week 1 talk is over
Meyer's point: Michigan probably should have been 1-1. Beating Oklahoma means nobody brings up Western Michigan again.

> You won't hear anybody talk about Western Michigan again now because they took care of business.
## Credit down the staff
Meyer spread the grade across the whole staff, naming defensive coordinator Jay Hill and offensive coordinator Jason Beck alongside Whittingham. He had picked Oklahoma.

> I didn't see that. I picked Oklahoma.
## Why buy-in matters
Meyer coached at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State. He argues the first statement win is what gets a team to believe, and Whittingham got his in Week 2.
## Not a Michigan man
After 21 seasons at Utah, Whittingham arrived in Ann Arbor with no ties to the place. Michigan usually hires its own and bet on him to reset the culture instead.
## How they beat Mateer
Jay Hill's unit pressured Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer and dared him to throw. The secondary held up and the pressure broke him.
## Eighteen carries for Underwood
Michigan handed Underwood the ball 18 times and built around him. That is the lesson the staff took from Week 1 and it should carry forward.
## The passing game is a problem
Michigan has the worst passing offense in the Big Ten and only two receivers have caught a ball all season. Get more playmakers involved and get Jordan Marshall going, and the Wolverines become a hard out.
## Key takeaway

One statement win buys a new coach the locker room, but Michigan's passing game is still the worst in the Big Ten.