The Biggest Coaching Decision Kyle Whittingham Got right Against Oklahoma

What did Kyle Whittingham decide, and why was it right?

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood runs against Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Michigan was able to rebound from a very poor showing against Western Michigan in their season opener as they were able to beat #11 Oklahoma 17-10. Michigan's offense still didn't accomplish a whole lot in this game, but it didn't matter because Michigan's defense was able to suffocate Oklahoma's offense all game long.

Kyle Whittingham made one big decision in this game though that might've made the difference between a win and a loss, let's dive more into what that was and what it means for Michigan moving forward below.

The decision: to run Bryce Underwood

Bryce Underwood had a horrible first game of the season against Western Michigan, but he was much better this week against the Oklahoma Sooners. He looked more comfortable in almost every area, both passing and rushing the football. The key decision though that I believe opened up the entire offense in this game was the decision to run Bryce Underwood.

He was the leading rusher in the game this week, with 18 carries for 87 yards and one touchdown. Against the Broncos of Western Michigan, he had nine carries for 47 yards. They clearly made an effort to get Underwood more involved in the rushing offense in this game and it really worked out.

There's still a lot to improve upon from this offensive performance, but at the very least, Michigan offense seems to be getting better and a big part of that is using Bryce Underwood's legs more.

What it means for Michigan's offense moving forward

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Michigan's offense got a much needed boost with Underwood's legs being a bigger factor this week, and it seems pretty straight forward that this will need top be a big part of the recipe moving forward. I do wonder what the breakdown will be for his rushing attempts moving forward however.

While Bryce Underwood carried the ball 18 times in this one, Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter combined for just 19 carries. I can't imagine that's the ideal breakdown if you're Michigan's offensive staff as they try to continue to grow this offense. It was what was required to win this week though, and I applaud the staff for acknowledging that and leaning into it in order to win this game.

This week for example Michigan will face Utep and I can't imagine they want him carrying the ball 18 times against the Miners. But in the bigger games later on this season, most notably Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State this might be the breakdown of how Michigan's running game looks.

It's not perfect by any means, but the offense did take a clear step forward this week and it was due in large part by Kyle Whittingham's decision to get Bryce Underwood's legs much more involved in this offense.

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