Despite a 9-for-24 for 142-yard statline, Michigan football’s problem vs. Oklahoma wasn’t freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood. In fact, it had appeared as if it was everything but Underwood that posed a problem for the Wolverines; the lack of pass protection, run game, playmaking ability at the wide receiver position, and abysmal play calling.
So if you’re looking for positives and silver linings coming out of the game, that’s about one of perhaps two.
On Monday, Moore admitted the positives surrounding Underwood, noting that while the game didn’t go as it could have, he remained poised and confident, despite all of the negatives that were happening around him in real time.
“I think one, that the moment isn’t too big, cuz there was never really panic,” Moore said. “The kid kept his poise for a freshman to be in that environment. I mean, there was never the wide-eyed look where it’s too big at the moment. So I understand that he can do it.
“But also just to trust his self, and just trust the reads, and trust the things. And you don’t always have to go make a play. Your God-given ability, you’re gonna make a play. He made some tremendous plays. He rolls to the right on a scramble and darts at the McCulley. It’s a tremendous play. He does things a lot that are tremendous plays, the throw that he made to McCulley when he went up and got it. He’s just gotta continue to go through his progressions and trust it.”
One big gripe from just about everyone outside of Schembechler Hall was the lack of using Underwood on designed runs. After all, Oklahoma had a running quarterback in John Mateer, and he led the Sooners with 19 carries for 74 yards. Underwood was credited with three carries for -1 yard.
Moore insists that the Wolverines will eventually run his freshman QB, but there are some things he feels need to get buttoned up first.
“We will at some point just — you run your quarterback, you better have two,” Moore said. “And I’ve always believed that, even did that with J.J. (McCarthy). J.J. wanted to run every game. And I was like, no, you’re gonna get hit, you’re gonna get hurt.
“We will, and I think there’s parts of that we tried to in that game, they just were pretty good at not letting us, cuz they didn’t want him to run. And I think there’s ways we can get him to run in different ways and make sure he’s protected. So we’ll work that as we go game by game and have a strategy for that.”
Michigan will have another opportunity in Week 3 when Central Michigan comes to town. Kickoff is set for noon EDT, and the game will be broadcast on BTN.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Sherrone Moore notes Bryce Underwood’s poise as positive in Michigan’s loss at Oklahoma
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
