When No. 23 Michigan took the field against Central Michigan, Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore wasn’t on the sideline. Instead, it was the eccentric Biff Poggi serving as an interim, coming off the bench to replace Moore as he served a suspension dating back to the sign-stealing investigation.
Maybe it’s a coincidence, but Michigan true freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood seemed to play with a looseness reminiscent of Poggi’s trademark cutoff sleeves in a 63-3 win against Central Michigan.
With Moore out of the building, Underwood flexed every bit of the ability that made him the No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2025. He connected on 16 of 25 passes with two of them credited as drops. He hit four passes of 20 or more yards, including a pinpoint 32-yard touchdown to Semaj Morgan right in the soft spot of zone coverage.
The challenge, obviously, was tougher against Oklahoma’s stacked defense, but only five of Underwood’s pass attempts against the Sooners traveled more than 20 yards downfield. Half of his attempts were shorter than 10 yards. If not for a 44-yard completion on a jump ball to Donoven McCulley, Michigan’s downfield passing game against Oklahoma would have been essentially invisible.
However, even more than the pass game opening up, Underwood’s legs stole the show. Underwood received comparisons to Vince Young during the recruiting process and showed it with 114 yards and two scores on only nine attempts. The touchdowns were from 18 and 20 yards out, with one coming on a fourth-and-1 scramble to ice the game. It was a sensational effort that only brought up questions of why Underwood recorded only three carries for -1 yards in the loss to Oklahoma.
Now, let’s be clear, Moore was allowed to stick with the team until 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. No question, he was intimately involved with the game plan. But whether coincidence or trend, Michigan’s offensive staff should learn from it.
Underwood is one of the most valuable investments in modern Michigan history, and the staff is likely trying to protect it. Even with his pedigree, Underwood is still a freshman. His lone miscue of the day came when he tried to launch the ball downfield and came short, leading to an interception and Central Michigan’s only points of the game. There’s merit in keeping his nose clean.
At the same time, Michigan paid Underwood the big bucks to come in and do his thing. That includes his prodigious running ability. While running back Justice Haynes has been a godsend, there’s no pathway to real Big Ten contention without Underwood playing big. It’s time to let off the training wheels.
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With Underwood unleashed, everyone was able to thrive. Five players recorded more than 30 yards receiving, including true freshman Andrew Marsh in his first major action. Haynes played off of Underwood, finishing with 104 yards and a score on only 14 tackles. Michigan recorded more than 600 yards in a game for the first time since 2021 against Northern Illinois.
In fact, Underwood finished with the most first half yards in a game by any Michigan quarterback since Wilton Speight in 2016. The Wolverines have one of the most talented players in college football. Please, let him work through the growing pains.
Poggi will be on the sidelines in the Big Ten opener on the road against Nebraska next week, a big spot against a Huskers team looking to make their mark. Then, it’s into the heart of Big Ten play with Moore back around.
Hopefully, Moore will use this moment as inspiration. The time for being conservative is over. Michigan has to let the offense cook.
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