The dramatic start to the Kyle Whittingham era at Michigan took another turn Wednesday when Bryce Underwood was offered the chance to respond to the new coach's comments about his job security as starting quarterback.
Whittingham was pressed on Underwood's status after a poor offensive performance in the controversial win over Western Michigan that required a second attempt at a Hail Mary following an official review.
“He's our QB right now,” Whittingham said Monday. "It's not something that's infinite. At some point, we've got to turn a corner, and we've got to see improvement."
Despite Whittingham's remarks coming 48 hours prior, Underwood seemed surprised to hear about them.
"There were comments about that?" Underwood said, according to Clayton Sayfie of The Wolverine. "That's cool. I didn't see that. It's cool."
Underwood finished 12-for-22 on passing attempts for 170 yards with a touchdown and one interception. However, he was limited to only 123 yards against a Group of 6 defense before his last-second Hail Mary touchdown pass. Western Michigan may have won the MAC last season, but the talent discrepancy between the two sides on the field should have been much more noticeable.
The Wolverines' entire offense looked sluggish against the Broncos, putting zero points on the board after an opening-drive touchdown. That should be significant cause for concern for new offensive coordinator Jason Beck, after his Utah attack led the nation in rushing last season.
Any move to bench Underwood would certainly be a massive news story given the enormity of the NIL package he signed when he flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan late in the cycle. He showed flashes while starting during his freshman season, but overall his development as a passer was not what most analysts expected.
It doesn't get easier for Underwood or the Michigan offense this week with Oklahoma's dominant defense coming to Ann Arbor. The Sooners pitched a shutout against UTEP last week and return one of the best defensive units in the country from last season.
