Michigan left Saturday with something it badly needed: a 17-10 upset of No. 11 Oklahoma and an early signature win for Kyle Whittingham’s first year in Ann Arbor.
After the narrow, uneasy escape against Western Michigan in Week 1, there were plenty of doubts hanging over this team. The Wolverines had needed a Hail Mary to get past an unranked opponent at home, and then came a trip into a game few expected them to win. Michigan answered anyway, and it found a way to do it against a ranked Oklahoma team.
Still, the win didn’t wash away the biggest concern sitting in the middle of everything: Bryce Underwood.
The quarterback situation remains a major question, and through two weeks it’s fair to wonder whether what Michigan has gotten from Underwood can hold up across a full season. Whittingham came into the game already dealing with pressure over how long he would stick with his starter, and Saturday didn’t exactly deliver a loud show of confidence.
Underwood did give Michigan a spark with his legs. He ripped off a 38-yard touchdown in the first half and finished with a team-high 87 rushing yards on 18 carries.
But in the passing game, the production never showed up. He went 9-for-17 for 111 yards, and the way Michigan handled the second half said plenty.
The Wolverines leaned on the run almost exclusively after halftime, including on third-and-medium and even third-and-short situations where a first down could have helped close the door. That wasn’t a team looking to put the ball in its quarterback’s hands and trust him to finish the job.
That approach can survive in spots. It gets a lot harder to live with over the course of a Big Ten season, where Michigan will run into some of the best teams in the country.
At some point, Underwood is going to have to make plays through the air. Right now, Michigan doesn’t seem convinced he can - or will.
In Other News...
Michigan Defense Just Got Telling Praise After Oklahoma Win
John Mateer had little trouble identifying where Saturday went sideways for Oklahoma after Michigan left town with a 17-10 win. The Sooners quarterback said his own accuracy and missed throws were part of the problem, and the numbers backed up the frustration: he finished 17 of 33 for 189 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while Oklahomas offense never quite found a rhythm against the Wolverines.
From Michigans side, that kind of self-assessment from the opposing quarterback is the sort of quiet validation a defense notices. Oklahoma managed just 289 total yards and converted only three of 13 third downs, and Mateer ended up leading the Sooners in rushing yards as well, a sign of how often Michigan kept the bigger answers off the table. For a Wolverines defense trying to build on a game that turned on one late touchdown, praise from the quarterback on the other sideline only sharpens the edge of what it did well. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Controlled Oklahoma With One Weapon Fans Rarely Celebrate
Special teams usually only get noticed when something goes wrong, but Michigan has leaned on that phase in a way that has quietly shaped its early season. Kyle Whittingham made a point of stressing the punt unit in preseason, and the Wolverines have turned that into real field-position value through the first two games, with Cam Brown consistently driving opponents deep and making every exchange on the field feel a little longer for the other sideline.
Michigans coverage work has helped the punt game land even harder. Defensive players such as Zeke Berry have chipped in to keep return yards down, turning hidden-yardage moments into part of the broader defensive edge. It is not the flashiest reason the Wolverines have been able to control games, but it is the kind of detail that tends to matter most once the schedule tightens and one or two possessions start deciding everything. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Made Another Push For A Five-Star Local Receiver
Dakota Guerrants visit to Michigans game against Oklahoma gave the Wolverines another chance to keep the five-star receiver close to home, even after his June commitment to Oregon. The Michigan native has strong local ties, and the Wolverines continue to press for a reopening in a recruitment that still carries plenty of intrigue because of who he is and where he grew up.
Oregon has its own selling point in this race, with recent success developing NFL-caliber wide receivers helping make the Ducks a tough pull to beat. Michigan, though, is still working to persuade Guerrant to reconsider, and his presence in Ann Arbor suggested this one is far from settled. [Read more 🡒]