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Bryce Underwood isn’t losing his job this week. Michigan’s new head coach Kyle Whittingham made that clear after Saturday’s 13-12 win over Western Michigan, even though the offense looked rough for most of the afternoon.
But “not losing his job this week” doesn’t mean the leash is long.
“He’s our quarterback right now. It’s not something that’s infinite,” Whittingham said Monday, according to a report from Brad Galli. “We need to see improvement with a bunch of stuff… it’s not just Bryce’s job that’s set in concrete. Nobody’s job is.”
That’s not exactly a vote of confidence. It’s more like a warning shot.
Underwood finished with a 52.9 QBR against Western Michigan, which ranked near the bottom among Big Ten starters in Week 1. He completed 12 of 22 passes for 170 yards, threw an interception, and his only touchdown came off a Hail Mary at the end of the fourth quarter (one that only happened because officials added a second back onto the clock). Not exactly the debut Michigan fans were hoping for from a former five-star.
There were multiple overthrows scattered throughout the game. On one third-down play in the first half, a screen pass sailed short of its target and killed the drive. Michigan is running a brand-new offense this year under Jason Beck, the former Utah play-caller, and Beck picked Underwood as his starter over freshman Tommy Carr coming out of fall camp.
Carr, for what it’s worth, looked sharp running Michigan’s playbook during the spring scrimmage. He just didn’t get any first-team reps once fall camp rolled around.
Underwood’s brutal Week 2 test
Whittingham and his offensive staff were talking up Underwood all through fall camp, even after a flat performance in the spring game that the staff blamed on a vanilla game plan and two-high safety looks. During Saturday’s actual game, though, Whittingham was seen squeezing his eyes shut after another failed third-down snap. Michigan was a heavy favorite against Western Michigan and never found any rhythm, whether running the ball or throwing it.
“I don’t have a great explanation on that other than I hope we see improvement Week 1 to Week 2,” Whittingham said when asked about Underwood’s execution issues.
Underwood signed a deal worth roughly $3.2 million this season as a sophomore, a contract that came with plenty of expectations attached. He was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class.
Things could get tougher before they get easier. Oklahoma comes to Ann Arbor this week, and the Sooners have already shown they know exactly how to slow Underwood down. Last season in Norman, Oklahoma stacked the box and dared a then-freshman Underwood to beat them through the air. He couldn’t. Oklahoma also just shut out UTEP in its opener, allowing only 198 total yards and forcing two turnovers while holding UTEP to a miserable 2-of-13 on third down.
Beck’s offense at Michigan is built around quick reads and accurate throws, exactly the two things Underwood struggled with on Saturday. If those issues carry over into the Oklahoma game, this offense could be in real trouble.
Michigan only managed 12 first downs and 276 total yards against Western Michigan. The Wolverines turned the ball over three times and got beaten badly in time of possession. If Underwood and this offense start slow again against Oklahoma, don’t be shocked if Carr, a former four-star recruit, gets a look off the bench to try and jumpstart things.
