Michigan Wolverines sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood didn’t look like a five-star recruit on Saturday against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Underwood struggled with the Gophers pass rush as he went 6-11 for 55 yards and two interceptions, and his second of the day proved most costly. Minnesota defensive back Zach Harden picked him off early in the fourth quarter at the Wolverines’ 35-yard line, which led to an easy go-ahead score, 14-13, in a 20-14 defeat on Saturday.
A Michigan native, Underwood was considered one of the prized recruits of the 2025 recruiting class as a five-star prospect. His play had been up-and-down early in the season with a 62% completion rate for 780 yards and five touchdowns versus two picks in addition to 192 yards rushing and two touchdowns coming into Saturday.
Typical fan criticism poured in on social media amid his struggles on Saturday, and some X users had hard analytical takes, too. That included FOX 2’s Ryan Ermanni critiquing the decision to keep Underwood in the game.
“This is where NIL has destroyed college football. The only reason Bryce Underwood is not on the bench right now is because of how much money he’s making,” Ermanni wrote.
Bryce Underwood’s Second Half Play Uncharacteristic
Underwood rebounded on his next drive with a 12-yard pass and a 14-yard run, but the drive resulted in a punt with 8:08 left. He also endured his second sack of the day on that drive.
Before that drive, Underwood’s second half was a nightmare, as Pro Football Network’s Cam Mellor pointed out. Underwood started 0-2 with two interceptions, but Mellor contrasted Underwood’s prior second half numbers of 17-33 passing for 302 yards for three touchdowns and an interception.
Michigan’s defense gave Underwood another chance with less than five minutes left in the game. Underwood completed a 12-yard pass on that drive and then took his third sack of the day.
He tried to move the chains on a long third down, but his pass came up well short of his target. The Wolverines punted with 3:24 left in the game.
No All Bryce Underwood
Michigan simply didn’t have answers for the Gophers defense, and Underwood was in the spotlight because of it.
“This Gophers’ defense has returned to the level it was at in 2024. Bryce Underwood and the Michigan offense look completely overwhelmed,” Bring Me the News reporter Tony Liebert wrote. “An absolutely suffocating performance.”
Minnesota held teams to 16.9 points per game that year, and the Gophers allowed 109.6 yards rushing and 176.1 yards passing per game along the way. On Saturday, the Gophers held Michigan to 3-9 on third downs, 64 yards rushing and 79 yards passing.
Michigan also committed three turnovers, and Underwood also had a near interception late, but the Gophers called timeout before the snap on that play. Underwood’s run support was lacking, as running back Jordan Marshall only had 50 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
Ultimately, it came down to Underwood not finding his targets when it counted most, and the Wolverines came up short on fourth down with 32 seconds left on his missed throw. He finished with 10-21 passing for 101 yards and 20 yards rushing on 10 carries.
Michigan QB Bryce Underwood Under Fire in Loss vs. Minnesota