Freshman phenom Bryce Underwood made his first collegiate start on Saturday night in the Big House and helped the Wolverines defeated New Mexico, 34-17. His stat line was solid — 21-for-31 passing for 251 yards and one touchdown.
Tomorrow, the scene will look quite a bit different, as Underwood makes his first road start in a hostile SEC environment. The competition ratchets up quite a bit against a Top-25 Oklahoma team that has a nasty defense led by defensive-minded head coach Brent Venables.
What
should Michigan fans expect out of Underwood in his first true test as the starting quarterback?
There’s no doubt Oklahoma is a tough place to play. Despite the Sooners’ struggles in recent years, it is still a ranked matchup on the road. This will likely be the toughest road test the Wolverines have all season.
On the field, Oklahoma’s defense projects to be nasty. Per SP+, the Sooners have the No. 7 defense in the country, just slightly behind Michigan’s No. 4 ranked defense. Keep in mind that this early in the season, SP+ ratings include preseason projections quite heavily. Against a comically overmatched opponent in Week 1 — Illinois State — the Sooners only gave up 151 total yards and 34 passing yards.
For the Wolverines to sneak out of Norman with a win, they will need quite a bit more offensive output than the Redbirds could muster.
With that said, Chip Lindsey’s offensive scheme seems designed to have Underwood succeed in it. Misdirection and quick passes were prevalent against New Mexico, though not necessarily all behind the line of scrimmage. Underwood seemed willing and able to push the ball downfield and had great success doing so, though competition caveats apply.
I would expect Michigan to utilize Underwood in the running game on Saturday night in a way it didn’t against New Mexico. He is a true dual-threat quarterback that head coach Sherrone Moore will undoubtedly look to protect at all costs, but you do what you have to do to win big games like this one.
Additionally, I believe Lindsey will scheme up quite a few misdirection plays (end arounds, reverses, etc.) that allow for Underwood to settle in early in the game. There will likely be some communication hiccups as Underwood navigates his first environment where hearing could be a problem. His ability to navigate the challenges will be paramount.
In totality, I’m expecting his stat line to look something like 16-of-25 for 175 yards with one touchdown and one interception. On the ground, I’d project an additional 40 yards (not including sacks).
What are your expectations for Underwood tomorrow night? Will he take the world by storm and throw for three touchdowns? Will turnovers be a major problem? How much will he be utilized in the running game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
