Michigan QB Bryce Underwood on emotions before Nebraska game: 'I prayed for moments like this'

Michigan Wolverines football freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood is coming off his best game yet, throwing for 235 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 114 yards and 2 more scores in a 63-3 win over Central Michigan. Now, he and the Wolverines enter Big Ten play, set to face Nebraska Saturday in Lincoln.

“Just remember that I’m blessed and thanking God for the position I’m in, because no matter what, we wouldn’t be in this position without God,” Underwood said of his emotions heading into the game on an interview with On3’s J.D. PicKell. “I prayed for moments like this, prayed for the strength — the mental strength, the physical strength — to be the best and perform the best I possibly can.”

Underwood is enjoying the beginning of his college career, leading Michigan to a 2-1 record in non-conference play.

“It’s been fun,” he said. “I’m having way more fun than I expected to have, honestly. Watching college football as a kid, it was like, ‘Who knows how difficult this could possibly be when I get this much older?’ Just excited to go out every single week and showcase my talents and everything I’ve worked for.”

The 6-foot-4, 228-pounder has taken on a greater leadership role, even as a freshman, as his career in Ann Arbor has advanced from him enrolling last December.

“Being a better leader vocally, because I feel like coming in, who wants to listen to a freshman?” Underwood said of where he’s improved. “Until I realized the quarterback is the leader of the team, he is the captain of the team, even without the ‘C’ on his chest. So, that being my main thing now going into every single snap, every single play, every single second of the game is the biggest shift and biggest mindset change for me.”

Michigan graduate fullback/tight end Max Bredeson — a two-time team captain — helped him realize that.

“The first day of fall camp,” Underwood said of when it happened. “Max Bredeson was my biggest shift factor. I don’t know how it got out, but he was my roommate for fall camp. So, just having and keeping a bond with Max throughout that entire time was an insane blessing I have.

“He’s a great person. He’s an overall leader. He taught me a lot of things about leadership going into fall camp, first day of fall camp, here’s your first day. Just be you. Play football. Be you. It’s fun. Play football. Whenever you see Max Bredeson hit somebody, he smiles. Of course, I bring smiles to the table whenever I make a play or the team makes a great play. Just excitement and everything.”

Underwood is excited for Michigan’s challenge this weekend in Lincoln.

“Just do what I do every single day going into the game,” he said of his mentality. “Be the best me in practice, lead our team, keep our energy up during practice. Being the most connected team — being a team. Individual stats aren’t really the main thing or the thought process going into games. It’s about being the most connected team, bringing each other together and being the best us we could possibly be.”

Down the road, Michigan will take on Ohio State at The Big House to wrap up the regular season in a rivalry game the Detroit native grew up watching.

“I just knew it was the biggest rivalry in sports history, and it still is to this day,” he said. “Just knowing my home state is willing to fight, defend and do anything that’s possible to not only beat Ohio State but be the best us we could possibly be, it was life-changing for me growing up, because I played for a little league football team that was the Motor City Wolverines. So, it showed that’s how you do it, I guess.”

Michigan and Nebraska will kick off at 3:40 p.m. ET Saturday in Lincoln.