Bryce Underwood is a big problem for Michigan football despite lucky Hail Mary walk-off

The Michigan football program almost relived one of their worst nightmares on Saturday night. Michigan narrowly escaped with a 13-12 victory against Western Michigan following a controversial decisions by the referees. The Wolverines could not complete a Hail Mary pass in the closing seconds of the game. However, the referees decided to add an extra second, allowing QB Bryce Underwood to find JJ Buchanan for a miraculous 47-yard game-winner as time expired.

Michigan fans were not happy with their team despite coming away with the victory. Fans were upset with the entire team, but especially Underwood’s underwhelming performance.

“Sick play. Sick catch. Embarrassed by our [university] for storming the field. Possibly the lowest point ever for UofM,” one fan wrote.

“I think that Underwood is the worst QB in Michigan history, and that’s saying something!” another fan declared.

Michigan now faces some serious concerns after just one game of the Kyle Whittingham era in Ann Arbor. And Underwood is at the center of it all.

Should Michigan fans be worried about Underwood after his terrible season opener against Western Michigan?

Bryce Underwood could hold Michigan back throughout the 2026 season

Expectations were high for Underwood heading into his sophomore season. But now Michigan fans everywhere have to be worried about the young quarterback after struggling against Western Michigan.

Underwood did not put on a good performance as a passer. He went 12-of-22 for 170 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception. Those stats do not look good by themselves, but they are even worse when put into context.

Remember, Underwood threw a pick-six just before halftime, so that interception was certainly consequential. Beyond that Underwood got 47 of his passing yards from his game-winning touchdown pass to JJ Buchanan. If that pass fell incomplete, Underwood’s box score would look a lot worse.

The running game was not working for the Wolverines either. In fact, Underwood was the team’s leading rusher with nine carries for 47 rushing yards and a touchdown.

All of this should be concerning, especially after Whittingham brought his Utah offense with him to Ann Arbor. Underwood did not look comfortable in the scheme after just one game.

The Wolverines were counting on Underwood to take a big step forward during the 2026 season. If Underwood does not show that the Western Michigan game was as fluke, it could spell disaster for Michigan’s entire season after just a few games.

Next up for Michigan is a home game against #10 Oklahoma. The pressure will be on the Wolverines to play a competitive game against a tough SEC opponent.

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