Seven days ago, Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore stood behind the lectern in Schembechler Hall and shared his philosophy on the running quarterback.
“If you run your quarterback, you better have two,” Moore said Sept. 8. “And I’ve always believed that. JJ (McCarthy) wanted to run every game. And I was like, ‘Don’t. No, you’re gonna get hit, you’re gonna get hurt.’ ”
Two days prior, freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood rushed three times to lose one yard in an ultimately ineffective performance in Norman.
Yes, Moore acknowledged that Underwood is a capable rusher. And yes, Moore said that the gameplan would permit Underwood to run at some point. But after Moore established such a firm mindset following Oklahoma, it was reasonable to assume that, at least for now, Underwood’s impact was to come from his arm.
Five days later, as Moore watched from his couch due to the Wolverines’ self-imposed two-game suspension, Underwood ran all over Central Michigan. Racking up 114 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns, Underwood showed what he can do with his legs in a 60-point blowout over the Chippewas.
It was more than enough to lead Michigan interim coach Biff Poggi to make an even bolder claim than the one Moore had earlier that week.
“We thought in Oklahoma we would take the air out of the ball, because they’re an air raid offense,” Poggi said postgame Saturday. “We’re not taking the air out of the ball ever again. Not with this guy taking snaps.”
In a moment of honest reflection, Poggi admitted that the gameplan against the Sooners might have been too conservative. In attempting to run down the clock with long, crushing drives full of short throws and physical runs, the Wolverines quickly found themselves playing catch-up against a dynamic offense led by an elusive quarterback.
It’s easy to promise a looser, more explosive offense after scoring eight touchdowns against an outmatched Central Michigan team. But on Monday, standing behind the same podium Moore did a week prior, Poggi voiced an entirely different philosophy than the one Moore had just last week.
“He’s got a green light to do whatever he wants, because he’s one of the great playmakers, I think, in the country,” Poggi said.
Against the Chippewas, that was evident. In the second quarter, Underwood kept the ball, darted past an initial block and outpaced several defenders to run 20 yards into the end zone. In the third quarter, on fourth-and-1, Underwood had another chance to make a play. Scrambling to his right, Underwood went through his progressions before dodging the pass rush. Dashing back to his left, Underwood headed for the goal line, breaking a linebacker’s ankles before running in to score.
So, other than Underwood’s knack for getting it done on the ground, what spurred this new offensive ideology?
“I don’t think anything changed,” Poggi said. “… It takes a while to learn about your team when you transition from spring ball to summer to camp, you really start learning the most when the games play. … Before (Moore) left, he gave us a strict menu of what he wants to see. Think of him as Tiger Woods and I’m the old guy with the fluffy mustache caddying for him. So we’re gonna keep it the way he wants it.”
Infused in Michigan’s usual offensive diet on Saturday were deeper throws and designed quarterback runs, and more explosive plays as a result.
Some of Underwood’s most impressive moments came when the play had broken down and he was prompted to make a play with his legs. When the freshman quarterback was left to — and allowed to — figure it out on his own, oftentimes, he did. For now, that’s the only philosophy that matters.
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