Bryce Underwood to Have 'Green Light' Against Nebraska

Nebraska has seen a total of one mobile quarterback so far this season, and it didn't go well for the Blackshirts. Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby toted the rock for 96 yards on just 13 carries, with most of the yards coming in the second half when the Bearcats made halftime adjustments.

It's a small sample size, but it's all Nebraska fans have heading into a marquee showdown against one of the best mobile quarterbacks of the early season in Michigan's Bryce Underwood. The true freshman signal caller's had mixed results to start the year. In Michigan's season opener, they kept him in the pocket, where he completed 21 of 31 passes for 251 yards and a touchdown. The only two "runs" in the game were actually sacks for a -5-yard day.

The tune stayed about the same in a week two loss to No. 18 Oklahoma. Underwood had a very underwhelming game, completing only 9 of 24 passes for 142 yards and no touchdowns. He didn't get it going on the ground either, rushing just twice and being sacked once for a net total of -1 yards.

Oklahoma sacks Underwood — Oklahoma's Sammy Omosigho and Jayden Jackson sack Michigan's Bryce Underwood in a game where the Wolverine signal caller couldn't get anything going. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Through two games, Underwood ran for -6 yards. Then came Central Michigan.

Last week, Underwood shone both through the air and on the ground. He led the team in rushing with 117 yards on just nine rushes with two touchdowns. Through the air, Underwood completed 16 of 25 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown, but he did throw an interception as well. Many viewed the dominating 63-3 win as Michigan giving Nebraska a heads-up of what's coming on Saturday. And after that performance, acting coach Biff Poggi said it will essentially be the Bryce Underwood show Saturday in Lincoln.

"He's got a green light to do whatever he wants because he's one of the great playmakers, I think, in the country," Poggi said during his Monday press conference.

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood ran for a team-high 117 yards and two touchdowns against Central Michigan this past Saturday. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Poggi also admitted that Underwood is young and has a strong desire to stay on his feet once out of the pocket, which can lead to him taking a few shots along the way.

"You can coach competitors to slide, and it's good that they do," Poggi said. "This kid, this kid's a football player, and if we could hit stop and everything would stop, we'd run out on the field and get him down, but we can't, so he's going to finish those runs."

He certainly finished them this past Saturday against a Chippewas defense that simply didn't have an answer. Nebraska may find itself in the same boat if they aren't able to shore up what ailed them against Cincinnati in the second half of the narrow Husker win to start the year.

Fortunately for the Huskers, they have two games on film where Underwood was contained — whether it be by game plan or by a well-called defense, which may be the case in Michigan's loss to Oklahoma. The Sooners were able to bottle up the freshman quarterback in his first true road game under center for Michigan.

Nebraska ultimately hopes to duplicate that environment and make life hard on the true freshman, and Poggi admits that he'll be leading Michigan into an environment that is unlike any other in college football.

"Nebraska — I don't know if there's a harder place to play than Nebraska," he said. "Fans are very loud, the stadium is loud, very raucous. They'll obviously be very excited, and what Bryce has to learn, and I think (he) learned this — just be Bryce. You're not playing against the stadium. They got 11 and we've got 11, and everything else is just noise."

If Nebraska fans are listening, or in this case reading between the lines, they might make sure Poggi and the Wolverines know Memorial Stadium is a little more than "just noise."

We're still in the gameplanning and implementation stage of the week for both teams, but Poggi's relying on one tried and true fact once the ball is snapped Saturday.

"Coaches don't win games, plays don't win games — players win games, and you have to let your players play," he said.

Underwood will look to make it two great games in a row when the Wolverines and Huskers kick off Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CDT on CBS and Paramount Plus.

Nebraska Football 2025 Schedule

Aug. 28 Nebraska 20, Cincinnati 17
Sep. 6 Nebraska 68, Akron 0
Sep. 13 Nebraska 59, Houston Christian 7
Sep. 20 vs. Michigan 2:30 p.m. CBS
Oct. 4 vs. Michigan State 11/2:30/3
Oct. 11 at Maryland TBA
Oct. 17 (Friday) at Minnesota 7 p.m. FOX
Oct. 25 vs. Northwestern TBA
Nov. 1 vs. USC TBA
Nov. 8 at UCLA TBA
Nov. 22 at Penn State TBA
Nov. 28 (Black Friday) vs. Iowa 11 a.m. CBS

Home games are bolded. All times central.

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