Michigan Football Film Room: Bryce Underwood Finds His Swagger Vs. Utep

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… the party was over and the hangover had set in. As I helplessly clung to my coffee and tried to prevent myself from looking like a Hyrox participant, the thought of “how old is too old to go to a bachelor party?” took hold. Standing in as best man, it is my responsibility to be there, but as a 34-going-on-60-year-old, can’t I just be there in spirit? Michigan had a similar mentality to start the game against UTEP. 

Rewatching Michigan vs. UTEP – because, unsurprisingly, watching via phone at the Honi Honi Bar in Deep Creek, Maryland, did not invoke the most insightful analysis – the Wolverines came out flat. It wasn’t flat to the Kyrie Irving thinks the Earth is flat levels of dumbassery we saw against Western Michigan, but it was underwhelming. Dull. The offense was clunky – the line was disheveled, quarterback Bryce Underwood had an early fumble, and an abrupt three-and-out following the turnover had the mob sharpening their pitchforks. To make matters worse, sandwiched between the fumble and the punt, the defense gave up a 73-yard touchdown drive culminating in a salt-in-the-wound play design similar to this one from Michigan State five years ago. 

It was the worst of times. 

The Wolverines seemed to be settling back into their Week 1 ways, and the takes were flying. Slack and text messages sent during the heat of battle should and will always remain private, but there’s been more optimism at funerals than what was trickling into me between personal pitchers and shots of Fireball. How could this happen again? Has the divide between ‘it’s so f–ing over’ and ‘we are so f–ing back’ ever been more narrow? For one quarter, it seemed that way… And then the tide started to turn. 

UTEP’s only other touchdown on Saturday came after Michigan’s Savion Hiter fumbled on Michigan’s 18-yard line. Michigan’s defense allowed only 77 yards after the opening drive and only 23 yards after this second touchdown. Reminiscent of the 2015 Wolverines game against Oregon State, where Michigan gave up a 79-yard, opening-drive touchdown before holding the Beavs to 59 yards the rest of the game, Michigan flipped a switch after the initial sluggishness. 

Michigan’s front seven was dominant, racking up four tackles and 11 TFLs. The Wolverines now have three players – John Henry Daley, Dom Nichols, and Nate Marshall – within one sack of the Big Ten lead. And true freshman Tariq Boney just so happens to be Lamarr Woodley 2.0. Boney is quickly ascending as one of the most devastating players in the conference, and now has one sack, 1.5 TFLs, and four tackles this year. Since 2000, here are the best true freshman seasons by a Michigan pass rusher:

1. 2003 Lamarr Woodley – 23 tackles, four TFLs, and two sacks
2. 2012 Mario Ojemudia – 11 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, one sack, one INT, and one FF 
3. 2016 Rashan Gary – 27 tackles, five TFLs, one sack
4. 2022 Derrick Moore – Eight tackles, two TFLs, two sacks
5. 2017 Kwity Paye – five tackles, 1.5 TFLs, one sack

Other notable seasons include:

• 2018 Aidan Hutchinson – 15 tackles and one TFL
• 2016 Josh Uche – Three tackles and one FF
• 2006 Brandon Graham – Three tackles, 0.5 Sack, and one FF
• 2011 Frank Clark – 10 tackles and 0.5 TFLs
• 2013 Taco Charlton – Two tackles and 0.5 TFLs

Boney is cracking the top five. Hell, he is already one tackle away from matching Paye’s numbers, and is anyone comfortable betting against him getting to three sacks? This kid is special.

Offensively, after Hiter’s freshman moment, the unit also settled into routine domination. Michigan’s next seven possessions ended in: touchdown, field goal, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, and kneel-down. The line seemingly sobered up and started to impose their will and even finally started getting to the second level; the skill players started to showcase speedexplosiveness in space; Bryce Underwood took a real step in his development. 

It was the best of times. 

Three weeks into the season, it is time to dive into Underwood. The much-maligned sophomore quarterback finished Saturday 19/25 for 223 yards, two touchdowns, 22 rushing yards in limited carries, and one fumble.

Let’s start with the bad.

11-Personnel Mesh Concept + RB Swing

Michigan sees man coverage and dials up a tried-and-true man-beater concept: Mesh. The receivers at the top of the formation are switch-releasing, with J.J. Buchanan working the post and Andrew Marsh running a five-yard drag. He is the primary. Tight end Jalen Hoffman is working the same concept from the other side of the field to create a pick, while the receiver at the bottom of the formation runs an outside-release clear-out route to create space for running back Jordan Marshall as the check-down. The only problem is UTEP is not playing straight man.

The Miners frequently showed man-to-man coverage pre-snap before falling back into zone or a split-field coverage throughout the game. This is a big reason for the clunkiness early on. That and the offensive line being completely reshuffled on Friday afternoon, but that’s for another film breakdown. This unforeseen change in picture forced Underwood to hesitate in his processing – just watch his feet here when the ball is snapped before anything else. 

You can almost hear his inner thoughts of “Shit, shit, shit,” before he panics and steps into the fray, ultimately turning the ball over. This play is designed to beat man-to-man coverage, but Beck’s scheme gives receivers the room to improvise based on what they see. So what should have Underwood done here? Be patient. Buchanan sees the safety cheating down and immediately breaks his route to the corner. If Underwood waits 1.5 seconds more, this is a touchdown. Furthermore, when the coverage changes and catches him unprepared, Underwood should settle to live for another down and just hit his check-down — Marshall is one-on-one with a safety and no other defenders are within 10 yards. 

In fairness to Bryce, this is a bad route from Hoffman. He needs to be on his horse and not try to juke a defender at the top of the route. His lack of urgency disrupts the timing of this play and closes any window for Marsh to settle down into. 

Michigan would come back to a similar version of this later on, but first, watch the confidence of Underwood’s first throw after that turnover. We’re not going to break it down in detail, but this poise is not something we saw two weeks ago. He holds the middle linebacker with his eyes; his feet are quieter than a Sunday service; he delivers a strike to Buchanan. 

Did the hit on the forced fumble knock something loose? Maybe we need the All-22 to see if his anxiety fell out on that play. After this first throw, his confidence would only continue to build. On the same drive, facing a third-and-seven, Underwood delivers a throw so arrogant it’s thinking of running for president. A low snap screws up the timing – which is important to note because this is, after all, a timing play – but it doesn’t matter. Despite the snap and the pressure in his face – right guard Brady Norton had more pressing business on the double team than helping his freshman running back pick up one of two blitzers – Underwood creates his own rhythm on an accelerated drop and delivers a DOT.

He understands being late on an out-route is a death sentence – see his late first-half Western Michigan interception – so he puts the ball in a spot where only Marsh can make the play. This is the epitome of giving your receiver a chance, and it takes an incredibly strong arm to deliver this ball from the opposite hash. But my god, MARSH MADNESS!

Now, back to the Mesh concept.

11-Personnel Mesh Concept + RB Swing

On paper, this is the same play. But this is where the details of Jason Beck’s scheme make all the difference. Marsh and Buchanan are still going to switch release at the top of the formation, but this time, it is Marsh going in motion pre-snap instead of the running back. This motion helps accelerate the mesh action of the play, and, moreover, look who he’s meshing with now. After Hoffman dragged his feet earlier, Beck inserted freshman receiver Travis Johnson, who wastes ZERO time getting across the formation. This opens up enough space for Marsh to adjust his route and settle into the soft spot of the vacated zone when the WIL linebacker overextends to protect the flat.

Now, focus in on Underwood. The defense shows man before dropping into a single-high variation. Johnson is man-covered, but the rest of the unit drops into zones with eyes on the quarterback. Understanding the change of picture now, Underwood calmly sets his feet, looks off the backside to help open up a spot in the zone, evades the pass rush to his right without losing his eyes, and delivers an easy first-down completion to Marsh. This is a critical third-down moment with the Wolverines trailing 14-7, juxtaposed with one of the calmest conversions we have seen from Bryce all season. This play isn’t going to make highlight reels, but this is growth in real time. And from this throw specifically on, he was a different quarterback.

12-Personnel Double Post + RB Swing

To cap off that drive, Beck sequences his play-calling with a knockout shot delivered by his young quarterback. After hurting UTEP with swing passes (jabs) throughout the half, UTEP crashes a safety to cover the running back and trusts the linebackers to close any windows in the middle of the field. Beck dials up a post (right hook) expecting this counter. It’s a “Prove you can beat me, young blood” type of defensive play call. A challenge that Underwood gladly accepted

Buchanan works a beautiful post route at the bottom of the formation and avoids the safety screaming downhill to cover the flat. The linebackers try to help out, but the WIL linebacker gains too much width following Bryce’s eyes. Underwood’s feet are again textbook levels of calm here, and as soon as Buchanan has a step, Bryce rips a ball between and over the two linebackers, in stride, for the touchdown. Tie game.

After leading a masterfully executed two-minute drive to take the lead before the half, Michigan kept the boot on the throat (paw on the pickaxe?) and did not let up on either side of the ball in the second half.

21-Personnel Z-Wheel + Y Delay

On the first drive after recess, Underwood kept the swagger on 1,000. In the slot at the top of the formation, Buchanan is going to work a switch-release wheel route underneath Marsh’s clear-out. If the flat defender covers Buchanan, running back Bryson Kuzdzal is going to be WAO (wide-ass open) for the check-down. The defender leaves Kuz WAO in the flat, but Underwood has other ideas. 

At the snap, Underwood gives a little shoulder fake to help Buchanan gain just enough separation and layers a ball in perfectly over the defender’s helmet into the bread basket. If this were last year, Underwood would throw a fastball here that forces Buchanan to sky into the air and work back shoulder — likely falling incomplete. With a firm base and great protection from the big uglies, Underwood drops one into the bucket for the most aesthetically pleasing completion of the game.

Leading by 10 later in the quarter, Michigan is faced with a fourth-and-four on the UTEP 40-yard line. We would break it down in detail, but we already have twice. It’s mesh again. The same variation with Marsh in motion and Johnson working across the middle of the field, except this time, UTEP has defenders in place. The Miners are ready! But they weren’t ready for Bryce Underwood.

This is an incredibly mature play from Underwood. Recognizing it’s zone with a spy in the middle of the field, he doesn’t panic. Johnson and Marsh are doing a great job of settling down into the zones, but this window is only opened by Underwood’s mobility. His feet remain quiet as he works up into the pocket, keeps his eyes moving, draws the spy down, creates a window for Johnson, maintains his posture, and connects.

Through three variations of the same play, we saw Underwood mature. I understand it’s UTEP and the stakes are low with a rabid defense and exceptional offensive line protection — I only counted two allowed pressures — but this is the growth and development we have been begging to see. After three weeks of running Beck’s offense, the playcaller is starting to understand his quarterback, and his quarterback is finally starting to trust his eyes.

I’m not going to say ‘we are so f–ing back,’ but maybe this is the game where the tide finally turns for Underwood.