Urban Meyer can't stop gushing about Bryce Underwood, and it's easy to see why
Despite the rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan, the former Buckeye head coach can't stop talking about Wolverine quarterback Bryce Underwood.
It isn’t often that a Buckeye compliments a Wolverine, but former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer can’t keep from doing just that as he watches true-freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood put on a show for Michigan.
Specifically, Meyer can’t stop himself from being impressed by Underwood’s work on the ground, already earning 108 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Meyer broke down a “quarterback direct run” that the Wolverines ran against Central Michigan in Week 3, repeatedly complimenting Underwood’s performance on the play:
“Tremendous athlete… outrunning the angle of the safety, and this is a big cat running the ball,” Meyer said. “This play, to me, put every defensive coordinator… on call because you have a quarterback run in the offense.”
The play resulted in a 20-yard touchdown run for Underwood, just one of nine touchdowns that the Wolverines scored last Saturday. That game alone is why Underwood is in the black in the rushing column.
"This is the play that changes it all."@CoachUrbanMeyer explains how Bryce Underwood’s ground game vs. Central MI pressures every @bigten defense 👇 pic.twitter.com/bBmjp7JQvK
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 18, 2025
In the first two games of the year, the Michigan offensive line was sound enough to hold up against the blitz, and Underwood lost a combined six yards on three sacks. Then, he lit up the Central Michigan defense with 114 rushing yards for both of his touchdowns on the ground.
This week, the Wolverines face the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who have already struggled greatly against the ground game. Underwood, alongside running backs Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall, should be able to blow past the Huskers’ defensive line.
Meyer specifically called out Nebraska defensive coordinator John Butler when discussing the fact that teams now have to keep an eye out for Underwood, and not just his RBs.
On Saturday, Sept. 20, the Wolverines and the Cornhuskers are scheduled to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET for their first Big Ten game of the season. The game will be aired on CBS and Paramount+.