Gophers football: Michigan beat reporter assesses Little Brown Jug game

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The Pioneer Press asked Aaron McMann, Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Ann Arbor (Mich.) News, to answer four questions about the battle for The Little Brown Jug between the Gophers and Wolverines at 11 a.m. Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium.

Here’s what McMann had to say in this week’s Opposition Research:

1. The Iowa loss and controversial Western Michigan win appeared to expose Michigan’s warts. What are their biggest issues through the season’s opening month?

A lack of discipline and inability to finish drives. Michigan is one of the most penalized teams in the Big Ten through four games, flagged 32 times for 289 yards, and the issue reared its ugly head in the loss to Iowa (eight penalties for 75 yards). It’s been just about everything, too: holding, illegal formation, late hits. Cornerback Zeke Berry was flagged for a late hit during that final drive against Iowa that helped put the Hawkeyes in position to score their last-second TD in a 20-19 win in Michigan Stadium.

As for the red-zone issues, Michigan had trouble reaching the red zone the first couple of games. Since then, they’ve been able to move the football but are having trouble maximizing drives. Against Iowa for instance, the Wolverines scored on just two of their four times inside the red zone … failing to convert a fourth-and-1 play and turning it over (interception) on the other. They cost themselves the points needed to win.

2. Quarterback Bryce Underwood was the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, but hasn’t lived up to that billing. How do you assess his career so far?

It’s still a work in progress. I think he was unfairly thrust into the spotlight early as a 17 year old, then asked to start 13 games as a true freshman without enough talent around him. The talent is there. You see it with some of his throws; he heaved it 60-something yards to convert that controversial Hail Mary TD against Western Michigan. But his ability to stand in the pocket, read defenses and go through his progressions remains a trouble spot.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham and his staff have realized that Underwood is best when he rolls out and throws on the run. He’s more accurate, precise, and rarely makes mistakes when given an ‘A’ or ‘B’ option. The staff has also turned him loose on the ground, something the previous staff was hesitant to do last year. His legs (18 carries, 87 yards) were a big reason Michigan was able to knock off Oklahoma in Week 2.

3. Michigan’s defense looks stout. What makes them a good unit and what might still be a work in progress?

It has been the strength of the team through four games. New defensive coordinator Jay Hill has reverted back to a varied scheme that mixes plenty between man and zone, plays with odd and even fronts and throws a lot of disguised blitzes at opponents. Turns out, the Wolverines seem to have the personnel to execute it: A pair of experienced run-stuffing tackles up front (Trey Pierce, Enow Etta), a deep edge group that can get to the quarterback (including former All-American John Henry Daley) and an experienced secondary that includes three senior cornerbacks and a sixth-year safety in Rod Moore.

Turnovers have been the unit’s Achilles heel so far, though. They only have three through four games, an area where Hill excelled during his previous stop at BYU. They’ve been emphasizing the need for more takeaways in games, but they haven’t showed up yet.

4. What are your keys to the game and score prediction?

For Michigan, it’s the small stuff. Limit the penalties, win the turnover battle and finish drives. Receivers JJ Buchanan and Andrew Marsh have really come on the last couple of weeks, helping Michigan move the football rather efficiently. Now it’s time to put it in the end zone.

I’m not sure all can be fixed in one week, but the offense is showing promise. It would not surprise me if they erupted this week. With that said, I’ll take Michigan in a closely contested back-and-forth game.

Michigan 24, Gophers 17

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