Michigan football news: Underwood carries planned, per Kyle Whittingham
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Michigan football erased memories of last week’s embarrassing opening game against Western Michigan at the Big House on Saturday, overcoming the odds and beating No. 11 Oklahoma, 17-10.
The game included a solid but uneven performance from quarterback Bryce Underwood, who drew praise from coach Kyle Whittingham afterward. Underwood completed 9-of-17 passes for 111 yards, but his effort in the running game was more noteworthy. He carried the ball 18 times for 87 yards and a big first-half touchdown, giving Michigan the early lead.
Whittingham said after the game that he and his coaching staff planned for Underwood to be more of a threat as a runner against Oklahoma after they were criticized by fans leading up to the Sooners game.
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“Kyle Whittingham said it was ‘part of the plan’ to have QB Bryce Underwood carry the ball a lot today — number could have been even higher,” ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg wrote. “He adds that Michigan has to get more out of its passing game, too.”
Underwood’s 87 yards nearly matched the 106 rushing yards his team had in a 13-12 Week 1 win over Western Michigan. The Wolverines had 152 rushing yards as a team compared to 100 for Oklahoma on Saturday. Oklahoma out-passed Michigan by a final total of 189 yards to 111 yards, lending credence to Whittingham’s passing game criticism.
Whittingham said ahead of the game that Underwood’s job is “not infinite,” a label he applied to the entire team after a rough Week 1 performance. Now, Michigan is 2-0 headed into next Saturday’s home game vs. UTEP, a media darling, and a near shoo-in to be ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll again this coming week.
Things change fast in college football, and Saturday was another example. The Wolverines suddenly have the makings of a serious College Football Playoff contender, and Underwood looks like a star in the making, just one week after enduring more criticism than anyone expected at this point in the season.
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