Bryce Underwood flashed elite playmaking ability in a tough loss to Iowa, so now it's about harnessing that and moving forward.
Four games into Bryce Underwood's sophomore season at Michigan, the big picture remains undeniably bright. There have certainly been some bumps in the road, but most recently, Underwood was really good and it was against a Phil Parker defense. Sitting at 3-1, Michigan has its quarterback of the future operating squarely in the present. But Saturday's loss to Iowa served as a classic, hard-knock lesson in Big Ten football — a game that highlighted both the electrifying ceiling and the inevitable growing pains of a young phenom under center.
Statistically, Underwood's performance against Iowa's disciplined secondary looks impressive on paper. He finished 17-of-28 for 276 yards, tossing two touchdowns against a single interception and maintaining a solid 72.7 QBR. He averaged nearly 10 yards per attempt, displaying the arm strength and deep-ball-audacity that made him the top recruit in the country. His chemistry with dynamic targets like JJ Buchanan (5 catches, 130 yards, 2 TDs) and Andrew Marsh (7 catches, 106 yards) was on full display, accounting for explosive plays like a 49-yard strike that blew the top off the Hawkeye defense.
Underwood was also called upon to run the ball quite a bit. At 6-4, 230 pounds, Underwood can be a physical runner, but taking 14 hits for just 36 rushing yards against a physical Iowa front takes a toll. It didn't look like he was banged up or anything, but his runs weren't overly effective and his longest run was just seven yards. It just didn't really feel like a weapon the way it did against Oklahoma. With that being said, he needs to be a part of the running game, it just needs to be more productive.
Iowa's classic "bend-but-don't-break" defense forced Underwood into a few forced throws, one of which resulted in a costly turnover on a drive where Michigan was almost certain to add points. While he put up chunk yards through the air, the offense bogged down just a bit too much in short yardage situations and when nearing the red zone.
As of right now, Bruce Underwood is getting closer to being what Michigan hoped for: an elite, game-changing talent capable of carrying an offense on his back by making dynamic throws and by hurting defenses with his legs. But the Iowa loss is a reminder that talent alone doesn't conquer the Big Ten grind. There's not much blame to place on Underwood in this one, but a key play here and a costly mistake there certainly didn't help in a game like this.
To take the next step, Michigan must continue to trust Underwood and push him in his development. Continue to find what he does best and load him up with those kinds of plays. He made some incredible throws while on the move against Iowa — do more of that. He did a great job on a few scramble drills — encourage him to get out of the pocket if his first read or two is not there.
The foundation is firmly there, but the refining process is still taking place.
