Michigan has opened the season 3-1, and the most encouraging sign may be how quickly freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood has adapted to the college game.
His performance against Nebraska played a key role in the Wolverines’ rebound from a loss to Oklahoma and earned him a striking comparison from college football analyst Josh Pate.
“Man, when he got into the open field… I don’t want to do this,” Pate said on his College Football Show. “I’m going to do it, whatever. There are no standards around here. Remember when Cam (Newton) got to Auburn, they played LSU early in the year? And he pulled away from a guy named Patrick Peterson in LSU’s secondary.
“There were no Patrick Petersons on the field yesterday for Nebraska, but the way Bryce Underwood hit that different gear when he got in the open field reminded me of how it put my jaw on the ground when I first saw Cam Newton just turn it loose in the open field early in that 2010 season at Auburn.”
Underwood has displayed a running ability that did not fully surface in the opening two weeks. Over his last two outings, he has piled up 175 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 17 carries.
“That is where I will end the comparison, because that’s not fair,” Pate added. “But just a little moment in time versus moment in time, that’s what I thought. It was a big-time competitive character sort of check for Michigan. And spoiler alert: They’ve still got it.”
Michigan’s ground attack has become its trademark. Pate noted,
“They were ripping off explosive runs left and right.”
Against Nebraska, the Wolverines had seven carries for 221 yards and three scores. Their longest pass covered 16 yards, but Underwood barely needed to throw.