Bryce Underwood didn't just struggle against Western Michigan, he looked like he barely improved in any way from his freshman season. With the amount of hype that came out in fall camp about Underwood, I was expecting to see Heisman numbers in Week 1 from Underwood, and sure, he started strong on the first drive, but then became the Underwood no one loves to see.
Of the 110 quarterbacks that had at least 20 dropbacks through Saturday of Week 1, Underwood has the second-worst passing grade with 31.4, according to Pro Football Focus. Underwood finished the night with 170 passing yards, but 47 of them came on the final Hail Mary pass, and 61 yards came on the opening drive. So, in between the opening drive and the final play of the game, Underwood only threw for 62 yards.
Bryce Underwood had a 31.4 passing grade against Western Michigan, per @PFF.
— Justin Spiro (@DarkoStateNews) September 6, 2026
That was the second-worst mark among 110 qualifying quarterbacks in FBS.
(min. 20 dropbacks) pic.twitter.com/IU3nfSODWU
No wonder his passing grade was so low, especially seeing that he went 12-for-22 on the night. When the quarterback isn't performing well and the run game can't fully get going, it's a recipe for disaster, as shown by Michigan Saturday night.
Bryce Underwood might be playing for his job now at Michigan
Bryce Underwood is dangerously close to five-star bust territory after a subpar freshman season and now a horrible outing to start the 2026 season. Kyle Whittingham was adamant about his confidence in Underwood and his ability to run the offense efficiently, but even he has to admit Underwood only has a leash so long.
It might be a bit of an overreaction to think about Underwood getting benched in favor of freshman and Michigan legacy Tommy Carr, but if the sophomore delivers another performance vs. Oklahoma as he did vs. Western Michigan, it has to be on the table.
Will benching Underwood for Carr really be better, given his experience level of college football being nonexistent? Probably not, but how long of a leash do you give Underwood? The offense can't sustain itself with the type of play and lack of throwing ability he showed in Week 1, and with the schedule that Michigan has ahead of them, loaded with tanked opponents, he has to improve.
Maybe this was first-game jitters. Maybe Michigan severely overlooked Western Michigan, the MAC champion from last season, who returned nearly its entire roster. With only one non-power conference team left on the schedule, the easier-looking games are dwindling for the Wolverines.
Underwood has to come out firing against the Sooners in Week 2 because at this point, he has to play like he is about to lose his job, because after that performance against Western Michigan, he just might.
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