Through two games, Michigan and Bryce Underwood are averaging 15 points per game and have scored 17 or fewer in both wins. That is quite low for a program with playoff hopes. The Wolverines are 2-0, but the quarterback play has left one question hanging. 

Michigan beat No. 11 Oklahoma 17-10 on September 12 in a defensive fight. The result looked better in the standings than it did on offense. Oklahoma was favored by nearly a touchdown and outgained Michigan 289-263. The Wolverines managed only 75 yards in the second half, went 4-of-13 on third down, and drew 11 penalties for 90 yards. According to NFL legend Shannon Sharpe, the sluggish offense can hurt Michigan in the upcoming games.

“I don’t know how you run your way back into a ball game, right? When the other team scores 24, 27 points, you’re going to have to throw the football, and they’ve got to find… Hey, whatever the case may be, like you said, Joe, they might have to move the pocket because it seems like he throws better on the run and give him a two-way option, right?” Sharpe said on the Nightcap podcast on September 13.

“That he’s just not sitting back there because right now he’s not advanced enough to be able to just drop back and just sling it all over the yard. That’s not his game. That’s not what he is,” the NFL Hall of Famer added. 

Sharpe is not saying Underwood lacks talent, but he is asking whether the quarterback can win when teams take away the run. Moreover, what is Michigan’s plan for chasing the game on offense? Right now, it doesn’t look like the Wolverines can make a comeback if they fall two scores behind.

Against Oklahoma, Underwood went 9-of-17 for 111 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. That is 6.5 yards per attempt. He ran 18 times, 87 yards, and a 38-yard touchdown. In the second half, he was 2-of-4 for 15 yards. Michigan used him more as a designed runner. The plan worked against Oklahoma, but also made the pocket-passing concern easier to see.

The same problem showed up a week earlier. Michigan escaped Western Michigan 13-12 on September 5 despite being about a 27.5-point favorite. Underwood finished 12-of-22 for 170 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. 

He added 9 carries for 47 yards and a score, and also lost a fumble. After the opening drive, the offense stalled against a Mid-American Conference team. That raised questions about the starter.

“And it’s not just Bryce’s job that is not absolutely set in concrete. You’ve got to perform week in and week out and become somebody that is playing at a level we can win with,” Kyle Whittingham said on Monday after Week 1.

The Oklahoma game did show progress in one area. Underwood protected the ball and ran much better. Through two games, he is 21-of-39 for 281 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. PFF gave him a 72.0 overall grade against Oklahoma, with a 66.6 passing grade after a 31.4 mark in Week 1 and a 68.1 rushing grade. That is better, but it does not prove the pocket issue is gone. The win also changed the tone around his job security.

“I was asked if his job was infinitely and etched in stone. Whose job is ever etched in stone? So that was my answer… I don’t agree that I opened that can of worms because Bryce is our quarterback, and that’s where we are right now,” Whittingham said. 

Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck are in Year 1 after leaving Utah. They are trying to build a new system around a quarterback they did not recruit. Dual-threat quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts had to become better passers to keep winning at the highest level.

UTEP on September 19 should offer a chance to build. After that, Iowa on September 26, then Minnesota, Penn State, Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State on the road. Several of those defenses will be better at stopping designed quarterback runs.

Last year’s Ohio State game can be remembered as a warning. Michigan lost 27-9 on November 29, 2025. Underwood went 8-of-18 for 63 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. That is 44.4 percent, 3.5 yards per attempt, and a 62.7 passer rating. When a strong defense took away the run, the passing game stalled.