Bryce Underwood gave Michigan the kind of finish that gets replayed forever. It just didn’t erase everything that came before it.
With the Wolverines staring at a stunning season-opening loss, Underwood uncorked a Hail Mary as time expired and found JJ Buchanan in the middle of the end zone, turning a nightmare into a 13-12 escape against Western Michigan. The play came only after officials reviewed the previous snap and put one second back on the clock, giving Michigan one last chance.
Underwood made it count. He held the moment long enough, launched the ball into a crowd and watched Buchanan come down with it amid a pack of Broncos defenders. Michigan’s sideline rushed the field, while Western Michigan players were left frozen after coming one second short of what would have been its first win over Michigan in nine all-time meetings and the biggest victory of Lance Taylor’s career.
That finish will live a long time in Ann Arbor. But it also served as a mask for a messy night on offense.
Michigan never looked settled, and Underwood never really found his rhythm. In his first game with Jason Beck calling the plays, the Wolverines tried to create easy yards, but the execution wasn’t there. Underwood’s footwork and timing were off, and several routine throws slipped away.
The learning curve is real here. Beck’s offense asks a lot before the snap and after it, from protection calls to route timing to knowing when to push the ball downfield. Underwood has the tools, but this was a reminder that physical gifts only take a quarterback so far while he’s still getting comfortable in a new system.
The first half was especially rough. Michigan’s offense was so stuck in the mud that after a fifth straight third-down failure in the second quarter, Whittingham rubbed his eyes and then bent over with his hands on his knees. The body language matched the product on the field: slow, frustrating, and going nowhere.
Underwood’s eyes and feet weren’t in sync for much of the night, and that showed up in the missed throws that kept drives from ever getting traction. One late-second-quarter throw to the sideline turned into a turnover and nearly became a touchdown the other way, with Dillon Moore almost taking it back for Western Michigan.
The blame doesn’t stop with the quarterback. Michigan’s run game was mostly invisible, and the offensive line couldn’t generate much push despite what should have been a talent edge up front.
That left the Wolverines asking a young quarterback to keep digging them out of third-and-long all night. Most of the time, he couldn’t.
Now the pressure ramps up fast. Oklahoma visits Ann Arbor next weekend after a 51-point shutout win over UTEP, and Brent Venables’ defense looks capable of making life miserable for a quarterback still trying to settle in. Last season against the Sooners, Underwood went 9-of-24 for 142 yards with a QBR of 44.5, his worst game as a freshman.
That’s the next test, and it’s a sharp one. The windows will be tighter, the rush will come quicker and the room for mistakes will shrink.
Underwood just authored one of the most unforgettable plays in Michigan history. The question now is whether he can keep the Sooners from turning the next chapter into a much harsher story.
In Other News...
Danny Saili Is Already Forcing His Way Into Oklahomas Plans
Danny Sailis move to Oklahoma has already started to pay off for the Sooners. The former Arkansas linebacker, now cleared by the NCAA, was on the field for Oklahomas season opener and has wasted little time getting comfortable in Brent Venables defense, a system that asks a lot from its linebackers and rewards players who can pick things up quickly.
What has stood out most inside the building is how seamlessly Saili has fit in with the group. Coaches and teammates have pointed to his experience and the way he adds competition and depth, the kind of presence that can matter over the long grind of a season. For Oklahoma, the early signs suggest this was more than just a routine transfer addition. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Is Counting On Reggie Powers In A Crucial Defensive Test
Oklahoma enters the new season facing an important adjustment on defense after losing Kendal Daniels, whose strong year ended with a draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons. The Sooners are now looking for returning talent to absorb the production gap, and Reggie Powers is a central part of that plan after spending last season in a supporting role.
Powers is expected to move into the starting cheetah spot, a bigger job on a unit that wants to stay strong without Daniels presence. He has already shown excitement about the expanded opportunity, and Oklahomas confidence in the defense will depend in part on how quickly he can translate that promise into steady play. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Season Opener Said Plenty About This Team Fast
UTEPs season opener in Norman turned into a long afternoon almost immediately, with the Miners falling behind early and never finding a way to make Oklahoma uncomfortable in a 51-0 loss to the No. 10 Sooners. Scotty Walden spent his postgame remarks sorting through the obvious setbacks, with special teams standing out as a particular problem, even as he tried to keep the bigger picture in view for a roster still trying to take shape.
There was at least some encouragement for UTEP on the offensive side, and Walden said he sees room for the group to keep developing after a game like this. The schedule does not offer much time to ease into that process, either, with Michigan, Texas Southern and Oregon State all still ahead in non-conference play, so the Miners will need whatever lessons they can carry out of Week 1. [Read more 🡒]