Kyle Whittingham Advised to "Move Away" From Bryce Underwood After Minnesota Loss Exposes Bigger Michigan Concern

Michigan thought it had found its answer when it spent big to bring Bryce Underwood on. Instead, five games into the season, the Wolverines are still searching for a spark. They have failed to reach 20 points 4/5 times, making the blockbuster NIL investment increasingly difficult to defend. Now, Kyle Whittingham has been told it may be time to move on.

“It’s my belief that Kyle Whittingham and the Michigan Wolverines need to move away from Bryce Underwood. It doesn’t have to be a permanent deal, but it’s important that the team knows that the offense is not going well enough to stay with the status quo,” said former coach and CBS College Football analyst Rick Neuheisel.

Underwood’s completion rate is still hovering under 60% for the season, and last game was the second time this year he failed to score a passing touchdown.

“Underwood and the Michigan offense are 17th of 18 teams in the Big Ten. That’s certainly not up to Michigan standards, although that’s been the case since he took over as a young freshman,” he further added.

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Last week against Iowa, Underwood delivered one of the best performances of his career. He threw for a career-high 276 yards, completing 17 of 28 passes for two touchdowns and one interception. Despite the loss, Underwood shone for the Wolverines. However, that spark quickly faded when he faced Minnesota on Saturday.

The 2025 class’s top-ranked recruit had a tough game on Saturday, completing 10 of 21 passes for 101 yards. He also threw two interceptions on consecutive second-half drives while Michigan held a narrow lead. In addition to that, Underwood was sacked three times this Saturday.

After a freshman season that ended with 60.3% passes completed and an average of 186.8 yards per game, Underwood has dropped in both metrics, and the QB position now remains an exposed issue.

Michigan dropped to 3-2 after losing to Minnesota, making the defeat even more significant given the history between the teams. The Wolverines had not lost to the Gophers since 2014, winning 35 of their previous 38 meetings. The loss was particularly shocking, as Michigan entered the game as the favourite.

The Wolverines have struggled to find a consistent offensive rhythm throughout the season, repeatedly failing to sustain possessions or move the ball effectively. The situation would have been even more concerning for Bryce Underwood and Kyle Whittingham if not for the controversial addition of a second to the clock against Western Michigan, which allowed Michigan to escape with a win.

With the loss leaving Michigan searching for answers, head coach Kyle Whittingham indicated that no changes are off the table as the Wolverines enter their bye week, with some difficult decisions potentially looming.

“Who the guys are that give us the best chance to win,” Whittingham explained. “Coaches are always being evaluated. Everything’s in play. Everything’s in play. What you don’t want to do is panic. As I said, we’re 3-2. There are a few positive things. But we’ve got seven games left and we’ve got this opportunity to right the ship. As much as we can.”

Neuheisel believes benching Underwood for a few games could help fix Michigan’s offensive woes. However, that solution would make sense only if Underwood were the sole reason for the struggles. The reality, though, is far more concerning.

Michigan’s offensive struggles extend beyond the offensive line, with OC Jason Beck facing questions about his ability to tailor his schemes to the team’s personnel. Beck found success at both New Mexico and Utah, which is why he was brought to Ann Arbor, but there appears to be a clear disconnect in Michigan’s offense.

One of the biggest issues for the Wolverines is their inability to establish the run. Beck oversaw the Wolverines’ No. 2-ranked rushing attack in both 2024 and 2025. This weekend, that same unit managed just 79 rushing yards.

Coming from the Big 12, Beck favours perimeter runs, but Michigan’s personnel is better suited to downhill, north-south football. Until he adjusts his scheme, changing quarterbacks may not solve the problem.

“Well, we’ll sit down with him, and I’ll sit down with the entire offense, and get everybody’s input and everybody’s perspective,” Whittingham said of Beck. “I mean, we’re frustrated — with Coach Beck and his track record. He was outstanding as an offensive coordinator. So we might have to make some tough decisions here.”

Michigan is running out of time, with the fanbase growing increasingly frustrated by the offense’s lack of production. If meaningful changes aren’t made soon, their hopes of landing a good bowl game could be pushed to next year.

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