Kyle Whittingham has spent the past two weeks answering questions about Michigan’s offense. And after defeats to Iowa and Minnesota, the questions have become harder to avoid.
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Bryce Underwood has struggled to move the ball consistently, Jason Beck’s play-calling has come under scrutiny, and the Wolverines are 0-2 in Big Ten play. Whittingham’s answer on October 12 on WXYZ-TV Detroit offered a glimpse of where he believes the problem lies.
“How do you separate the situations and the decisions he’s (Bryce Underwood) making versus the play calling that’s putting him in those positions?” WXYZ-TV reporter Tina Nguyen asked Whittingham.
The UM head coach acknowledged that it’s a new “offense” at Michigan and he can’t use it as an excuse. Still, he expects Bryce Underwood to make better “reads.” Both in the run game and the passing game. Moreover, he explicitly protected OC Jason Beck, replying to Nguyen.
“Jason Beck’s track record has been very, very good offensively, and it’s been an offense that has been very hard for defenses to deal with when it’s functioning at the level that it needs to function at,” Kyle Whittingham said.
The timing matters. Michigan has lost two games in which it had a chance to win late, and neither defeat was simply a case of the quarterback making one bad decision.
The offense has looked disjointed for long stretches, while the staff has yet to find a dependable formula for getting points on the board. Of course, Underwood’s numbers are difficult to ignore.
Through five games, he has completed 67 of 113 passes for 881 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions. He has also rushed for 212 yards and two scores.
Michigan is averaging 23 points and 315.8 total yards per game, ranking 17th among 18 Big Ten teams in both categories. Moreover, the two defeats have exposed different problems.
Against Iowa on September 26, Underwood threw for 276 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw an interception. Michigan led 19-14 late in the game before Iowa drove 91 yards and scored the winning touchdown on the final play.
The Wolverines had produced 429 total yards, enough to win, but could not protect their lead. A week later, the offense fell apart in Minneapolis. Underwood completed 10 of 21 passes for 101 yards and threw two interceptions in a 20-14 loss to Minnesota.
Michigan managed only 180 yards of total offense and failed to score after halftime. The Gophers took advantage of turnovers, and the Wolverines could not mount a late response.
“When you lose a couple games, everything comes into question, and again you cannot just make wholesale changes right at midseason,” Kyle Whittingham said.
“You can veer off in different directions and continue to play to the strength of your team, in particular your quarterback. But you can’t just say Okay, let’s scrap all this and do this. That’s panic mode, and that really will get you nowhere.”
There are undoubtedly moments where only Bryce Underwood has made bad decisions. Against Minnesota, he already decided where he wanted to go with the ball before the play had really developed.
The UM QB targeted JJ Buchanan straight away in the third quarter and threw an interception. Andrew Marsh had slipped free downfield, with nobody around him, and had a clear path to a touchdown.
Underwood was also quick to settle for short throws in the second half, even when Michigan had better options downfield. On third-and-10, Marsh found space in the zone, but Underwood went to his running back instead.
Michigan still had a chance to keep its hopes alive late in the fourth quarter, but it stalled on fourth-and-five. Under pressure, Underwood threw the ball well out of bounds instead of giving a receiver a chance to catch it.
The incomplete pass handed the ball to Minnesota and left Michigan with no way back in a 20-14 defeat. Many have still called out Jason Beck for not adapting enough to Underwood’s requirements.
However, as Whittingham said, his track record is truly exceptional. Beck helped Utah build one of the country’s most productive offenses while working under Kyle Whittingham.
The Utes averaged 41.1 points per game, fifth-best in the nation, and ran for 270 yards a game, the second-highest mark. They went 11-2, a season that helped Whittingham land the Michigan job. Beck also followed him to Ann Arbor.
Beck’s offense at New Mexico put up big numbers, too. The Lobos averaged 484.3 yards per game, fourth-best in the country, and rushed for 253.6 yards a game, good for fifth nationally.
So, it’s unreasonable to expect Beck to change his offense that got him the national recognition. In all, Bryce Underwood has to improve and make better plays. Or else, even the $12 million tag won’t be able to rescue him at Michigan.