Michigan had yet another underwhelming game against Minnesota on Saturday afternoon. The Wolverines were handed their second-straight loss to a conference foe they were expected to beat. Now they’re still searching for their first Big Ten win of the season. Who deserves the blame for that? Kyle Whittingham, the coach that was brought in to fix an offense that needed help badly? Or Bryce Underwood, the underperforming, former No. 1 high school football player who continues to struggle with consistency?
Regardless of where you place the blame, the overarching problem is clear: Michigan needs to figure out its offense.
Bryce Underwood’s starting job should be on thin ice after struggles against Minnesota
Following Michigan’s win over Western Michigan, Whittingham made it clear that Underwood needed to progress if he wanted to retain the starting job. The loss to Minnesota shows he hasn’t improved. He completed less than 50 percent of his passes, didn’t throw a touchdown pass and had two interceptions.
Underwood arrived in Ann Arbor with high expectations and a chance to rejuvenate this program. Instead, his inconsistent play is one of the biggest obstacles in Michigan’s offense.
Underwood deserves a lot of blame because the same problems he’s having this year were a problem with last year’s staff as well. He’s missing wide-open receivers, struggling to consistently go through his progressions and holding the ball too long in the pocket. He doesn’t need to be elite in every category, but he has to show he’s grown since his freshman season. The Minnesota game raised more questions about the pace of his development.
It might be time for Michigan to make the quarterback change Whittingham alluded to earlier this season. Through the first five games this season, Underwood’s statline is extremely underwhelming: 881 passing yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions. Those aren’t elite numbers and he’s not fully to blame, but at the very least a change could re-center Underwood.
Kyle Whittingham’s early struggles in first season show why he was a questionable hire
Whittingham made it clear he had no problem making a change if he deemed it necessary. The loss to Minnesota might be the game that causes a shakeup under center. While Underwood deserves a lot of the blame, Whittingham has to be questioned as well.
Joel Klatt even pointed out during the broadcast that Whittingham is trying to recreate what he did at Utah at Michigan. Is replicating that system the best way to handle Underwood, who entered Michigan as the No. 1 recruit in the country? That’s the biggest question facing Whittingham right now.
Joel Klatt on the Michigan-Minnesota broadcast:
— Bennett | Glass (@GlassOfBennett) October 3, 2026
“This offense was successful for Utah, but that offensive line was a lot more athletic than this Michigan offensive line.” pic.twitter.com/5Y7BajaEoD
During the two decades Whittingham spent at Utah, he proved he can develop quarterbacks. But can he develop this kind of quarterback? Michigan hasn’t had a 300-yard passing game yet this season. They have just two games with over 400 total yards and can’t finish drives. Entering the Minnesota game, they averaged 25.2 points per game, which was ranked 94th nationally. They scored 14 points in the loss to Minnesota and have scored more than 20 points once this season, against UTEP.
Underwood is responsible for his own play. Whittingham is responsible for the fact that he hasn’t figured out how to get the best out of him. It’s far too early to call Whittingham’s tenure a failure. But five games in, it’s fair to question whether he was the right coach to lead the Wolverines in the Bryce Underwood era.
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