Free Press sports writer Rainer Sabin answers three questions after Maize defeated Blue, 7-6, in the Michigan football spring game Saturday, April 18, in Ann Arbor.
How did Bryce Underwood fare?
On the Big Ten Network broadcast before the game, Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham, making his first public appearance in Michigan Stadium since being hired from Utah in December, was asked what Underwood needed to do to be successful Saturday.
“Move the offense in an efficient manner,” he said. “Get the team in the end zone.”
He also explained that Underwood would have to demonstrate proper “in-game mechanics.” But Michigan’s second-year starter failed to check any of those boxes while quarterbacking both teams for the entire first quarter. He went 3-for-9 for 22 yards and absorbed a pair of sacks, as each of the three full drives led by Underwood ended with no points. The farthest Underwood took either offense was to the opponent’s 45-yard line.
It was an underwhelming performance because Whittingham had previously said Underwood had “improved overall” since a disappointing freshman season when he struggled to deliver the ball consistently and accurately. Earlier this month, Whittingham told reporters Underwood’s “footwork is better” and he was “making better decisions.” But there were instances Saturday when Underwood seemed to exhibit the same bad habits that plagued him last season.
On his longest completion, a 16-yard strike to tight end Eli Owens over the middle, he didn’t fully step into the throw and relied on the strength of his powerful right arm to send the ball upfield. Later in the quarter, he flirted with disaster when he tried to thread the ball through three defenders to receiver JJ Buchanan, a Utah transfer who let it slip through his fingers. It was a risky throw made worse by the fact that Underwood had distributed the weight on his back foot when he released the pass. Wearing a no-contact jersey, Underwood at times played like a quarterback who thought he was in danger of being hit. On multiple occasions, when the offensive line sprang leaks and he was subjected to pressure, he was quick to bail from the pocket as he tried to extend the play. But more often than not, he couldn’t create the desired outcome and his stat line turned uglier. By the end of the afternoon, he had been outshined by freshman backup Tommy Carr, who produced 202 yards of total offense and completed 21 of 30 attempts.
Afterwards, when asked to offer his assessment of Underwood, Whittingham was complimentary of the 18-year-old sophomore and said, “He is ahead of where he was, certainly, from last season.”
That may be true. But he didn’t show that on Saturday.
Did Savion Hiter live up to the hype?
All eyes were on Underwood when he made his debut with the Wolverines last spring. Michigan’s top offensive recruit a year later, and the No. 2-rated running back in the 2026 class, Hiter has drawn the most attention of any Michigan newcomer. Throughout the spring, the buzz surrounding Hiter has intensified. Whittingham called him “a bright spot.” Teammates have given him rave reviews. Tight end Hogan Hansen described him as “explosive” and “dynamic.” Fellow running back Jordan Marshall said he is “next level.”
On Saturday, Hiter looked as good as advertised. Although his longest carry went for 8 yards, he routinely demonstrated he is a powerful back capable of keeping an offense ahead of the chains. On several of his runs, he shed tackles, lowering his shoulder to deliver blows before charging forward for bigger gains.
“I want everybody to feel that I’m a physical runner,” said Hiter, who finished with 44 yards on 10 carries.
The Maize defenders charged with stopping him Saturday certainly did.
One of them, linebacker Aisea Moa, can attest to that.
“He’s not someone you can just arm tackle,” Moa said. “You can’t just hit him. You gotta wrap up and drive your feet. He’s gonna stay up.”
Michigan’s opponents will find that out soon enough. After all, according to Whittingham, Hiter is “going to be a big factor for us this fall.”
Could Kyle Whittingham have made a more distinctive first impression Saturday?
Spring games rarely generate much excitement.
But the one staged Saturday by the Wolverines was particularly boring.
There were few highlights. Big plays on offense rarely surfaced; none longer than 20 yards, in fact. And there wasn’t much scoring. No team even reached the end zone until the Maize squad’s Tomas O’Meara barreled across the goal line in the final minute to give his team a 7-6 victory. Those who came to the Big House hoping to see fireworks probably left disappointed.
But this glorified intrasquad scrimmage was never intended to be a thrilling introduction to the Whittingham era. Earlier this month, Whittingham signaled that he wasn’t going to show much, telling reporters that some of Michigan’s most proven players might not participate. And while a lot of them did, several high-profile Wolverines – such as Underwood and Marshall – didn’t play beyond the first quarter, a period when tackling to the ground was a no-go. It seemed clear Whittingham, a no-frills coach, wasn’t the least bit interested in putting on a show for the fans or using the spring game as a vehicle to drum up publicity for his program.
With the exception of the occasional trick play, such as a reverse flea-flicker, everything was rather vanilla. If anything, the big takeaway was that this program didn’t look all that much different than it did over the past 11 seasons when Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore were calling the shots. To that point, the running game looked formidable and the passing game didn’t, while the defensive line continued to flash its might. It seemed oh-so-familiar, which is why Whittingham’s first impression may have seemed rather unexceptional.
Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Bryce Underwood growth signs missing in Michigan football spring game
Reporting by Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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