It wasn’t a perfect win, but it was a perfect introduction.
Michigan’s 34–17 victory over New Mexico wasn’t the kind of dominant performance fans are used to seeing in Ann Arbor, but it gave them something far more valuable: a glimpse of the future at quarterback.
True freshman Bryce Underwood made his debut as the Wolverines’ starter, throwing for 251 yards and a touchdown on 21-of-31 passing, and the early returns were good enough to grab the attention of FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt.
“I thought he was excellent,” Klatt said on The Joel Klatt Show. “He was poised. The stage is not going to be too big for him. He was not afraid to make big throws.”
For a program that struggled to push the ball vertically a year ago, Underwood’s confidence and situational command immediately stood out.
Klatt pointed to a two-minute drive before halftime — capped by a critical third-and-long conversion — as the kind of sequence that separates talented high school recruits from quarterbacks ready to win in the Big Ten.
An Instant Upgrade at Quarterback
Klatt didn’t shy away from comparing Underwood to last season’s Michigan quarterbacks, noting that while Davis Warren “was a great kid,” the offense simply lacked the ability to stretch the field. That changed quickly on Saturday.
Klatt highlighted an early third-down throw to Samaj Morgan as one of the most telling plays of the game.
“His eyes went to the correct spot, correct side of the field. He never retreated and he went through his reads and bang, he hits Samaj Morgan with an accurate ball,” Klatt said. “And I’m thinking to myself like, okay, the guy was in high school last year. That’s pretty good.”
Supported, Not Carried
Klatt emphasized that Michigan’s new-look offense under Chip Lindsey wasn’t designed to show everything in Week 1. “They didn’t do a ton. They didn’t show a ton offensively,” Klatt said. Even so, Underwood’s ability to execute within that framework gave the Wolverines a spark through the air.
He wasn’t asked to run — another weapon Klatt believes will become important as the season develops — but he didn’t need to.
The run game, led by Alabama transfer Justice Haynes, piled up more than 200 rushing yards, while tight end Marlin Klein emerged as a reliable target. That balance gave Underwood the chance to showcase his arm without forcing the action.
The Road Ahead
Now comes the jump everyone has been waiting to see. Michigan heads into a primetime matchup at Oklahoma, a far different challenge than what Underwood faced in his debut.
The Sooners’ defense, led by defensive-minded head coach Brent Venables, is known for its aggressive style and ranked inside the top 30 nationally in points allowed last season. Oklahoma looks to build on momentum of their own after allowing only three points in their season opener against Illinois State.
For Underwood, it marks his first game against Power Four competition — and his first chance to show how his poise and arm talent translate on a bigger stage.
Facing Venables’ defense on the road isn’t just another game on the schedule. It’s the kind of proving ground that can reveal just how ready Michigan’s freshman quarterback is to lead the Wolverines back to the top of the Big Ten.