Report Card: Bryce Underwood’s Studying Curve Steepens in Loss to Oklahoma

By the point freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood took the sphere for Michigan’s opening drive at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, the place 84,107 sozzled and snarling followers have been ready to noisily greet him, the Wolverines have been already behind on the scoreboard.

Underwood’s counterpart, Sooners’ starter John Mateer, a splashy addition from Washington State by way of the switch portal, had begun the sport in command of a good looking 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive wherein his cannon-like proper arm stole the present. He zinged a move up the seam to tight finish Jaren Kanak that gained 31 yards on third-and-9. He caught the defensive entrance leaping offside and deftly burned the Wolverines with a 21-yard shot to wideout Deion Burks, who’d exploited the house between Michigan’s cornerback and security. Six performs later, Mateer flipped a bit of push move to Burks for a catch-and-run landing. 

It was a powerful dose of command from Mateer, a redshirt junior who’s three years and fairly a little bit of on-field expertise older than Underwood. It additionally set the stage for what many across the sport have been fascinated to see with regards to Underwood, an 18-year-old child and the No. 1 general prospect on this yr’s recruiting cycle. Positive, he’d roughly aced his debut in opposition to New Mexico with 251 passing yards, one landing and no interceptions, however Saturday night time’s nationally televised showdown pitted Michigan in opposition to the No. 18 crew within the nation, an Oklahoma program whose new defensive playcaller — head coach Brent Venables — received two nationwide championships as Clemson’s defensive coordinator in 2016 and 2018. This was big-time school soccer. 

For Underwood, a modest first half gave option to a extremely ineffective end wherein he solely accomplished 4 passes within the second half. There have been miscommunications with teammates, passes that sailed too excessive for receivers and a basic absence of manufacturing in opposition to Venables’ aggressive, multidimensional protection. Underwood accomplished 9 of 24 passes for 142 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in an eventual 24-13 loss that reinforces how steep of a studying curve virtually all true freshmen have — particularly with an inexperienced assortment of broad receivers and tight ends round him. 

Right here’s a report card for Underwood from the most important begin of his younger profession: 

Early returns: C+

Although Michigan failed to attain within the opening quarter as each of its offensive possessions ended with punts, Underwood appeared largely unbothered by what was unquestionably essentially the most tough setting he’s ever confronted. He won’t have danced onto the sphere like he did every week in the past at Michigan Stadium, the place Underwood made his long-anticipated debut after profitable the quarterback competitors in fall camp, however he nonetheless flashed a toothy smile within the remaining seconds earlier than taking his first snap in opposition to the Sooners, relishing the chance forward and calmly studying off the play card connected to his waist. 

Bryce Underwood #19 of Michigan participates in warmups previous to a recreation in opposition to Oklahoma Sooners. (Photograph by Stacy Revere/Getty Pictures)

On his first move, Underwood nimbly reacted to a free rusher off the sting by dropping his arm angle and rifling a ball to fit receiver for Semaj Morgan for a simple 19-yard acquire. He later escaped the pocket to his proper and layered a throw over two defenders to wideout Donaven McCulley on a play that gained 38 yards down the sideline. An identical rollout within the second quarter netted a 25-yard completion to broad receiver Channing Goodwin after a number of penalties in opposition to the Sooners stored the possession alive.

However Underwood was removed from excellent throughout a primary half wherein the Wolverines solely averaged 2.3 yards per carry, punted thrice and missed a chip-shot subject purpose. Flummoxed, maybe, by a post-snap protection shift from the Sooners, Underwood practically tossed the primary interception of his profession on Michigan’s second drive when he heaved a deep move towards no person particularly. One other obvious miscommunication between Underwood and McCulley, the crew’s No. 1 receiver, value the Wolverines a possible landing on their solely purple zone journey of the opening half when the ball sailed excessive. Underwood was additionally concerned in some kind of heated, sideline dialogue with working again Justice Haynes, a coveted Alabama switch, that was in the end damaged up by a number of teammates.

He entered the locker room having accomplished 5 of 10 passes for simply 76 yards — a far cry from what Mateer was in a position to produce each along with his arm (12-of-18 for 160 yards, one TD) and his legs (9 carries, 30 yards, one TD) in constructing a multi-score lead.

Twin menace: Incomplete

Regardless of the whole lot Underwood had proven in a glowing efficiency in opposition to New Mexico final week, when he blended eye-popping arm power with silky contact passes in a debut that oozed confidence, his contributions got here fully by way of the air. His remaining stat line solely included two carries for minus-5 yards as a runner. It was extensively assumed that Michigan’s teaching employees had inspired Underwood to not threat his physique in opposition to such an overmatched opponent in the identical means former coach Jim Harbaugh stored guardrails on quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s mobility. 

Saturday’s recreation in opposition to Oklahoma, nonetheless, appeared prefer it would possibly current first-year offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey a chance to include Underwood as a runner, particularly if the Sooners have been centered on Haynes after he rumbled for 159 yards and three scores in Week 1. Underwood had run for greater than 600 yards and 6 dashing touchdowns throughout his senior season at Belleville Excessive College in Belleville, Michigan, a half-hour from the Wolverines’ campus, and he’d chipped in with seven dashing scores the yr earlier than. There was little doubt that he might contribute to Michigan’s offense in additional methods than one. 

Bryce Underwood #19 of the Michigan Wolverines participates in warmups previous to a recreation in opposition to Oklahoma. (Photograph by Stacy Revere/Getty Pictures)

But at the same time as Mateer demonstrated how efficient well timed quarterback runs might be — he powered into the tip zone with 22 seconds remaining within the first half to provide the Sooners a 14-0 lead — Lindsey and the Wolverines shunned asking Underwood to run the ball. He didn’t have a single dashing try, be {that a} designed run or a scramble, by way of the opening two quarters as Haynes and fellow tailback Jordan Marshall break up the workload. Even McCulley received a carry when Lindsey referred to as for a large receiver reverse. 

Underwood lastly stored the ball for the primary time on a read-option play with 9:33 remaining within the third quarter, turning down the prospect to feed it to a large receiver on a jet sweep and working to his proper. A number of Oklahoma defenders sliced into the backfield to chop Underwood down for a five-yard loss. He didn’t run once more till the early phases of the fourth quarter, selecting up 9 yards on a scramble by way of the center. 

By recreation’s finish, he’d run thrice for minus-1 yards. 

Down the stretch: D+

With 4:44 remaining within the third quarter, at which level Michigan nonetheless trailed by double figures, Underwood took the sphere for essentially the most pivotal drive of his profession. To that time, he’d accomplished simply certainly one of 4 passes within the second half for a single yard. And the Wolverines wanted his field-stretching arm greater than ever. 

Underwood responded by uncorking a beautiful 44-yard heave to McCulley, who leaped and trapped the ball behind a defender’s helmet to take care of management as he hit the bottom. The prolonged completion was precisely the form of jolt that every one three Michigan quarterbacks have been unable to generate in 2024, when the Wolverines completed as the one crew within the nation with out at the very least one completion of 40-plus yards. What Underwood did in that second was precisely what Michigan followers had dreamed of because the former five-star recruit flipped his dedication from LSU, igniting the fan base amid a down marketing campaign final fall. And some performs later, the drive resulted in a subject purpose that reduce the Sooners’ result in 21-13.

Bryce Underwood #19 of the Michigan Wolverines participates in warmups previous to a recreation in opposition to Oklahoma. (Photograph by Stacy Revere/Getty Pictures)

A missed kick by Oklahoma afforded Underwood and Michigan the prospect to orchestrate a game-tying scoring drive within the early phases of the fourth quarter, however the possession shortly unraveled. Underwood appeared to go the flawed means whereas executing a play pretend and wound up taking a sack that put the Wolverines properly behind the chains, and poor clock administration by the offense compelled head coach Sherrone Moore to name two timeouts within the span of some snaps. When Underwood’s third-down move was batted down on the line of scrimmage, sinking his completion proportion properly beneath 50% for the sport, Michigan was compelled to punt and instantly paid the value: The Sooners responded with a 16-play, 78-yard drive that drained greater than eight minutes off the clock and iced the sport when kicker Tate Sandell tacked on a brief subject purpose.

The lengthy throw to McCulley proved to be Underwood’s solely actual spotlight amid a lackluster second half wherein regular blitzing from Oklahoma challenged the teen. And when his receivers struggled to generate any form of separation downfield — McCulley was the lone wideout to document multiple catch — Underwood misfired on 5 consecutive passes from the two:39 mark of the third quarter to the 1:33 mark of the fourth quarter, with the Sooners’ marathon drive in between. 

By then, the sport was roughly out of attain. 

Michael Cohen covers school soccer and school basketball for FOX Sports activities. Observe him at @Michael_Cohen13.

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