UTEP Has The Right Idea to Slow Down Bryce Underwood

Michigan will welcome UTEP into the Big House for its third game of the season. The Wolverines are sitting at 2-0, while the Miners have had two lopsided games for a 1-1 record. UTEP was crushed by Oklahoma in Week 1, 51-0, and then the Miners took care of Texas Southern last week, 51-10.

UTEP mustered 198 total yards of offense in the loss to the Sooners, but the Miners' offense figured something out last weekend, gaining 491 total yards of offense. QB EJ Colson tossed for 239 yards through the air and four touchdowns.

But if the Miners are going to stay competitive in the Big House this weekend, coach Scotty Walden knows they are going to need some things to do their way and that includes forcing some turnovers.

Making Bryce Underwood pass

Michigan Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) reacts after a touchdown — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Walden's team forced two turnovers last weekend and he believes the key for his team to remain competitive against the Wolverines is to make Bryce Underwood one-dimensional. Slowing down the run and forcing Michigan to pass the football.

However, as Walden noted, it's not going to be that easy. Michigan runs a lot of six-linemen looks, or the Rhino look as Jason Beck calls it, and the Wolverines are going to continue to implement a game plan for Underwood to run the football.

“You kind of saw it against Texas Southern, when we were able to stop the run and make them one-dimensional," Walden said. "And now, we can tee off and get a strip sack. They became predictable. Any time you can shut down the running game and make a team one-dimensional, that’s the biggest thing. And that’s easier said than done with these guys, because their running game is elite.

“They’ve got backs that run hard. They’ve got tight ends, fullbacks that play Big Ten football. They play physical football.

“That’s going to be the first thing — you have to make a quarterback one-dimensional, and then he becomes predictable. And then you can start to put them on their heels, and you can almost start calling defense like you’re calling offense, on the attack with disguises, moving around. And that’s really just in general, when you play any quarterback but especially a great quarterback like Underwood.

“But, man, I’m telling you, he is a tough guy to bring down. He’s physical. We’re going to have to do a great job of gang tackling.”

Holding Underwood back won't be that easy

People are going to look back at the Western Michigan game to see how poorly things went for Michigan and the Wolverines don't want a resemblance of that effort in Week 3. But as Kyle Whitingham noted, his staff didn't have a good game plan for Underwood in Week 1 and they quickly figured that out.

Michigan's run game has gotten out to a poor start and it's clear the Wolverines want to run the football better and more efficiently. That's going to be toward the top of Beck's wishlist going into the UTEP game, and while Walden hopes to see the Wolverines struggle to run the football, in reality, if Michigan does struggle to run the ball, the alarm bells can start ringing.

This is Michigan's week to run it well before Iowa comes to town in Week 4 to start Big Ten play.

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