Bryce Underwood experiencing growing pains

It’s Week 3 of college football, so it’s only natural that freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood is experiencing some growing pains. 

After an impressive debut against New Mexico — totaling 21 completions for 31 attempts and 251 yards — Underwood and the then-No. 15 Michigan football team headed south for the freshman’s second-ever collegiate game. Against then-No. 18 Oklahoma in his first away environment, Underwood’s production dipped, only notching nine completions for 24 attempts and 142 yards.

In short, Underwood performed like you’d expect for a freshman facing off against a robust defensive front. But according to Wolverines offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, against bigger and faster opponents, that’s to be expected.

“The hardest thing coming from high school is learning the game,” Lindsey said Wednesday. “You gotta learn to take care of yourself, understand when the play is over, go down, or go out of bounds. Bryce is making a lot of strides in that area. … I think it’s just a matter of playing, getting him some reps.” 

While he wasn’t the root cause of Michigan’s lackluster offensive showing, the events that transpired in Norman revealed a few necessary areas of improvement for the young quarterback. One important area is communication. 

Trailing by only one touchdown and sitting at third-and-2 at the Sooners’ 14-yard line, Underwood searched downfield for a target. With an Oklahoma defender rapidly approaching from the right, Underwood spotted graduate wide receiver Donovan McCulley by the 5-yard line and fired it to him. 

There was only one problem: McCulley was blocking, and the ball sailed right over his turned back. 

The miscommunication on this play marked one of several that occurred against the Sooners, the majority of which occurred during the run-pass option. These errors aren’t indicative of Underwood lacking talent. Instead, they paint a picture of a quarterback still working to understand the intricacies of a complex offensive scheme. 

“The first game, we got him into a good rhythm,” Lindsey said. “That’s what didn’t happen the other night when you talk about offense and rhythm and all those things. … But I like where Bryce is. … Lots to build off of.” 

Struggling to find consistency and convert plays into progress, the Wolverines’ offense lacked rhythm against Oklahoma. But as Lindsey pointed out, the offense is trending in the right direction with a solid foundation to build off of. And one such thing that Michigan hopes to develop is Underwood’s run game.  

According to Lindsey, quarterback runs are a facet of the game that the Wolverines intend to incorporate into their offense — there just hasn’t been an opportune time. Underwood’s physicality and ability to run, in addition to his passing and prowess in the pocket, are other skills that have been praised. While not all of them have been on display quite yet, it merely serves to highlight the fact that there are still tools left in Underwood’s toolbox. 

“You gotta learn to take care of yourself, understand when the play is over, go down or go out of bounds,” Lindsey said. “Bryce is making a lot of strides in that area.”

Sure, Underwood’s performance against the Sooners was a little rough around the edges. But those mistakes are necessary growing pains. It’s Week 3, and Michigan is still figuring out Underwood’s ceiling and the quarterback he’s capable of becoming. It’s just a matter of getting him settled.

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