Fans overreact. It's what they do. But it's hard to blame Michigan football fans for feeling a little uneasy after the first half against Western Michigan on Saturday night.
Things looked promising to start the game. Sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood completed all five of his pass attempts on a drive that ended with a one-yard TD run by the QB.
Since then, the Wolverines have struggled to pick up the first down. The offensive line isn't getting any push, and even on the touchdown, Michigan needed four attempts to get a few rushing yards near the goal line.
The pass protection has been an issue, too. Some of it was play-calling, like a sack right late in the second quarter. There is no reason to have a backup interior offensive lineman playing tight end pass-blocking against an EDGE.
So far the Michigan DL is as advertised.
— MichiganPodcast (@MichiganPodcast) September 6, 2026
So far the Michigan OL has underwhelmed to say the least.
Michigan has had a different OL on every drive so far. The guard rotation has to stop.
— Trevor McCue (@trevormccue) September 6, 2026
That doesn't make sense. After the first drive, Underwood stopped looking comfortable. The pressure got to him and he reverted to old habits. He narrowly avoided an interception on the second drive, then missed Savion Hiter in the flat for what should have been a first down on a third down.
The early returns on Underwood and the offense were great. At half, the Wolverines have managed just 44 rushing yards on 15 attempts. Western is loading the box and Michigan already seems to lack confidence in Underwood's ability to throw the ball after an 8-of-13 effort for 70 yards and an interception in the final seconds of the half.
First time he feels pressured Underwood resorts back to the mistakes we saw so often last season. The INT won’t count on replay, but that ball should’ve never even been thrown. Bryce just has to stop the high school hero ball crap.
— MichiganPodcast (@MichiganPodcast) September 6, 2026
Underwood struggling to make basic throws at this point. Needs to be better.
— Chris Balas (@Balas_Wolverine) September 6, 2026
Whether it's the quarterback or the offensive line, there are legitimate reasons to be concerned. The one encouraging thing right now is that the defense looks as good as advertised. Michigan's defensive line has been all over the place. Dominic Nichols looks like one of the most improved players on the team. Nate Marshall already has a sack.
Andrew Marsh fumbled the ball on a punt return, giving it to Western in the red zone. It looked like Michigan was about to fall behind before the defense forced a turnover on downs.
Western has just 95 total yards. That includes 36 rushing yards. That's something for Michigan fans to feel good about. The offensive performance has been a disaster, though, gaining just 41 yards in the first half after the opening-drive TD.
Forget Oklahoma. That won't hack it in the second half against Western Michigan, with the Wolverines leading 7-6 after a terrible first half.
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