Losing in Minneapolis for the first time since 1977 was always going to make for a long bye week in Ann Arbor.
But then a leaked group chat among players made it even longer.
Michigan senior tight end Zack Marshall released a statement this week apologizing for comments he made in the hours after Saturday's 20-14 loss to Minnesota.
"Last weekend, in the hours after we lost, I made some inappropriate comments that I regret. This game is won and lost as a team, and I pointed fingers instead of taking accountability. I let my frustrations speak for me in an emotional moment. I apologize to my teammates and coaches for the unnecessary drama that this has caused. I will always be proud to represent Michigan and will continue to give everything I have for this program. I love Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan, and Team 147."
Marshall didn't spell out what he said, but his statement follows screenshots posted across social media that showed messages attributed to him taking aim at offensive coordinator Jason Beck and the Wolverines scheme and offensive approach.
Michigan has not confirmed the screenshots are authentic, and they don't identify the senders.
"Basically, our offense sucks because if you blitz us, we have no answers... we have an extra OL on the field every play and run different versions of power read every play," one message read.
Another said, "Bryce is a good qb, beck is a problem," referencing quarterback Bryce Underwood. The messages also claimed the tight ends were told in a meeting that "none of us are valuable to this offense," and described the current staff as "way worse" than the Sherrone Moore era.
Michigan is 3-2 and 0-2 in Big Ten play, ran for 79 yards at Minnesota, and sits 122nd nationally in total offense at 315.8 yards per game.
Beck is in his first season in Ann Arbor after one year running the offense for Kyle Whittingham at Utah, where the 11-2 Utes averaged 41.2 points and 482.9 yards per game in 2025. Before that, he was the offensive coordinator at New Mexico (2024) and Syracuse (2023), and spent stints as the quarterbacks coach at Syracuse, Virginia (2016-21) and BYU (2013-15).
Whittingham, in his first season at Michigan after 21 years as Utah's head coach, didn't dodge the offensive struggles after the loss. He called the results "unacceptable" and said, "I'm still trying to figure it out... this is maybe the biggest challenge I've had."
As far as possible changes on tap during the upcoming bye week, he said, "Everything's in play."
Marshall, a Carlsbad, California, native, was a special teams contributor on Michigan's 2023 national championship team and broke through as a junior with 16 catches for 199 yards and a touchdown, including five grabs for 72 yards and a score against Washington. In May, he spoke glowingly about Beck's system, calling it "so different than anything we've had before."
Every coach in America has dealt with a frustrated player after a tough loss. The difference now is that the group chat can be on X before the film even gets graded.
Marshall's statement has no qualifiers and no "if anyone was offended," and the apology goes to the people in the building first. He owned it, and that's what you want and expect from a senior.
Michigan hosts Penn State coming up on October 17th, and the Nittany Lions have had their own struggles under first-year leader Matt Campbell.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.
— Zack Marshall (@TheZackMarsh) October 6, 2026