Bryce Underwood played the role of spoiler in Michigan's controversial Hail Mary pass on Saturday that gave the No. 16 Wolverines a 13-12 win over Western Michigan. While he made the game's defining play, Underwood received criticism for his play throughout the entire contest. He finished the night going 12 of 22 passing for 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
He added 47 yards and a score on nine carries against the MAC defense. On Monday, Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham said Underwood's grasp on the starting job was not "infinite" and the sophomore needed to turn the corner at some point. More News: Exclusive: Breakout NFL Executives Who Could Become Future General Managers More News: 4 QBs Generating Serious Trade Buzz Weeks Before NFL Regular Season Starts When asked by reporters on Wednesday about Whittingham's comments, Underwood said he hadn't seen the clip of the head coach's remarks but didn't seem concerned about the message.
It’s cool.” Whittingham suggested Underwood and several starters had their jobs on the line after nearly being upset by Western Michigan. At some point, we’ve got to turn a corner and we’ve got to see improvement, as we do with a lot of stuff; you’ve got to see improvement out of the coaches, so it’s not just on Bryce. "And it’s not just Bryce’s job that is not absolutely set in concrete.
You’ve got to perform week in and week out and become somebody that is playing at a level we can win with.” Michigan will face a much tougher defense in Week 2 when No. 11 Oklahoma comes to Ann Arbor. The Wolverines will have to execute much better on offense if they want to start the season 2-0. In addition to Underwood's struggles, the Wolverines rushed for only 106 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries.
Underwood was the lead rusher. For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
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