What they're saying about Michigan's blowout win over Central Michigan
The Michigan Wolverines took down Central Michigan 63-3 on Saturday in Ann Arbor, headlined by freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood‘s 349 yards of total offense with three touchdowns on the afternoon.
Many of the reactions revolved around Underwood being unleased in the non-conference finale, along with the team’s complete performance under Biff Poggi, who is filling in during Sherrone Moore’s suspension.
Here are some of the top reactions from around the Michigan market and other analysis coming off the win in Week 3.
Associate head coach Biff Poggi
“This is a really young football team. Highly talented and very young. And I want to say this. You know, what an odd day. Because today, this day was actually heartbreaking for me. Because I have children that are Sherrone’s age. And we were texting last night. Just about how much he loves me, and I love him. And it was a really hard week in our building, a really hard and emotional week. I think what people that care realize that football is a game about relationships. And his players love him like you wouldn’t believe. And what I would say today was you saw a love letter from 120 young men to their football coach today. And I think that’s outstanding.
“…It was everything. He said I don’t want you playing for me. I want you playing for yourselves and I don’t want you playing for the coaches and for Michigan. As soon as he walked out of the door, I said, we love him. We all work for him. But we’re not listening to that. And so they were locked in for him. And it was a very — at dinner last night, it was a very tearful moment because the players brought him up and gave the break, had him give the break. At that point, he left and he was a wreck. But so was everybody else in there.”
Former Michigan DL Ryan Van Bergen, The Wolverine postgame show
Michigan football alum praises ‘polished’ response in rout of Central Michigan
”I thought that team looked really polished and looked like they had a week of getting better at that, being the emphasis,” Van Bergen said after the game. “And that’s not always the most fun week when you go into a Sunday film room and you know that the film from the Oklahoma game probably wasn’t all that positive.
“There was probably a lot to be learned, a lot left to be desired on offense, defense, and special teams [last week]. We saw the phases emerge and operate again against less competition; you may not be able to really gauge how great this team will be in Big Ten play. But to see them execute, to see them go out, run a game plan, execute that game plan, be penalized very minimally, have very successful drives, great red zones, some of the stats we’ll get into [were great]. Overall, a good, clean, polished performance, which is what I think you hope for in the wake of the Oklahoma game.
“Then, with your head coach being suspended and some of that stuff that can cause more drama, that’s not football [it was impressive].”
Chris Balas, The Wolverine
Michigan 63, CMU 3: Notes, quotes, and observations — a lesson learned?
The coaches took Underwood out of the bubble wrap, didn’t discourage the scrambling, and even ran some straight run plays for him, and did he ever move. He looked every bit the part of a dual-threat quarterback that can keep defensive coordinators up at night.
While it was “only” CMU, we got a clear look at the frosh signal caller’s speed and instincts in a first half in which he accounted for 297 yards (211 passing) to lead a 35-3 advantage. He resembled some of the quarterbacks that have given Michigan defenses fits over the years … the ones who break wills in escaping the pocket, making things happen by improvising, but are also able to drop a dime when given time to throw.
In short, it’s what we and the Michigan fan base has been waiting to see. If it took a game like last week’s discouraging 24-13 loss in Norman to make them realize it, it might be worth it in the long run. That’s especially true if Underwood can handle the pressure next week at Nebraska in a key, Big Ten opener.
Underwood might make some mistakes, probably will (like the long ball he threw into traffic that was picked Saturday when he had an easy completion underneath), and there’s no question it will be harder for him in the land of corn and Rhule. But you want to win or lose with your best. It’s like Jimmy Chitwood taking the last shot in “Hoosiers.” Moore made the mistake Hickory High coach Norman Dale was talked out of in the final minutes, but Poggi insisted it was a learning moment.
That lesson — “let No. 19 eat.”
John Borton, The Wolverine
Michigan mashes CMU, 63-3, behind a wide-open QB
Michigan entered its final non-conference game with a big chip on its shoulder. The Wolverines finished with a host of little Chips ground under their cleats.
Mercy proved non-existent at Michigan Stadium, following a tough road loss at Oklahoma. Central Michigan’s Chippewas got in the way — barely. The Wolverines overpowered their in-state neighbor, which left with a big check and bigger bruises, losing 63-3.
They say a win is a win, and this win served as a love letter to suspended head Coach Sherrone Moore, according to interim boss Biff Poggi. Of course, the true love gets doled out a week hence. That’s when the presumably Poggi-led Wolverines can go into Nebraska and start 1-0 in the Big Ten. If they don’t, this win means about as much as Moore’s play sheet of what he would have called, had he been on hand.
On this day, the Wolverines made it abundantly clear the head coach could take a day off without penalty. They piled up a 35-3 halftime lead, got out in front 28-0 before the Chips managed 10 total yards, and in general bullied the boys from Mount Pleasant into the wood chipper.
Clayton Sayfie, The Wolverine
Best and worst from Michigan’s win over Central Michigan
Michigan still ran the football well — not just with Underwood. The Wolverines exploded for 381 rushing yards, their highest amount in a contest since putting up 418 in a 41-17 beatdown of Penn State Oct. 15, 2022.
Junior running back Justice Haynes went for over 100 yards for the third-straight game, carrying 14 times for 104 and a score, adding 1 catch for 16 yards. He was one of five Wolverines to rush for a touchdown.
In fact, Haynes was the only Michigan player to record a rushing touchdown that had entered the game with one on his résumé. Underwood (1), sophomore running back Jordan Marshall (2), junior running back Bryson Kuzdzal (1), freshman running back Jasper Parker (1) and freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh (1) all had rushing touchdowns for the first time as collegiate athletes.
Central Michigan’s run defense had been solid through two weeks, giving up 3.1 yards per carry to San Jose State and 4.8 to Pittsburgh. The Wolverines ran all over the Chips, though, to the tune of 6.9 yards per rush.
Austin Meek, The Athletic
Bryce Underwood shows off running ability as Michigan dominates CMU: Takeaways
Many of the questions this week were about Michigan’s conservative game plan in its loss at Oklahoma and a lack of rushing attempts for Underwood, who carried the ball five times in Michigan’s first two games.
Moore and offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey hinted that more quarterback runs might be coming, but who knew it would happen this fast?
“Sherrone really wanted to open things up with him a little bit when he felt it was the right time,” Poggi said. “He’s young, and you want to scale him into it. Chip Lindsey really took that mandate and really did a great job. It was the plan to get him using his legs a little more.”
Many of Underwood’s rushing yards came on quarterback scrambles, including his 18-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. On fourth down, Underwood rolled out, juked a pass rusher in the backfield and cut back across the field, plowing through a defender to reach the end zone. That had to be a refreshing sight for Michigan fans eager to see Underwood use his size and athleticism as a running threat.
Underwood also showed the ability to hit the explosive passing plays that were missing last week against the Sooners. After going 9-for-24 in Norman, Underwood completed 16 of his 25 attempts for 235 yards and a 32-yard touchdown pass to Semaj Morgan. After starting the season with a steady diet of screen passes and manageable throws, Michigan let Underwood air it out, with good results. Aside from one ill-advised throw that turned into his first collegiate interception, Underwood’s performance was everything Michigan wanted to see.
Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire
Michigan football explodes for 600+ yards in 63-3 rout of Central Michigan — 5 takeaways
As noted, the defense held CMU to just 139 yards — the Chippewas’ lowest output in six years and Michigan’s best total defense by yards since last year’s Northwestern game. Beyond that, Michigan hasn’t allowed less yardage since allowing 110 yards to UConn in 2022.
What makes this even more impressive, regardless of the CMU caveat, is that there were several key players out or banged up. True freshman cornerback Jayden Sanders started with Zeke Berry injured. Rod Moore dressed, once again, but did not play. For whatever reason, senior edge rusher and team captain TJ Guy did not play, either. But some of those new names made some big plays. Freshman corner Elijah Dotson registered his first career interception. Second-year defensive tackle Manuel Beigel got a fumble recovery in his third-career game.
But even more impressive was the response from the defensive front, led by linebacker Jaishawn Barham, who rushed off the edge early and often. We saw some interesting formations and fronts, and they created havoc for Central Michigan. While it might not be the greatest litmus test, considering Nebraska is a big step up in competition, this is the type of dominance Michigan fans are accustomed to seeing in recent years.
Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press
Bryce Underwood shows what happens when he gets time for Michigan football – again
It was over before the first quarter ended. But really, it was over before that, the minute Michigan football and Central Michigan agreed to play one another, and for games like these, it’s tough to take away too much … generally, though we’ll get back to that in a moment.
First, let’s get the basics out of the way: The Wolverines overwhelmed the Chippewas on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Michigan Stadium, and you can pick any set of numbers to illustrate it. I mean, along with the score: 63-3.
Like this one: U-M outgained CMU in the first quarter 172 yards to minus–1. So, yeah, a talent discrepancy, and a stylistic unbalance, too. (CMU likes to run. The one thing we know about this Wolverines’ defense? They are good against the run.)
What can we say then?
Michigan coaches should never hold back Bryce Underwood again. In fact, they said it themselves, or at least the fill-in head coach said it, and then said the suspended head coach agreed.
This lesson came during the Wolverines’ dispiriting loss at Oklahoma, where Sherrone Moore’s game plan had been conservative and Underwood was prevented from running, scrambling and, consequently, looking down the field.
John Niyo, The Detroit News
Niyo: Michigan opens up the playbook, uses all of Bryce Underwood
It didn’t take a football genius to come up with this.
And with all due respect to Biff Poggi — and his dog, Gianni — his debut as Michigan’s acting head coach merely proved that point. In fact, it was Poggi who said as much after watching freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood run wild in the Wolverines’ 63-3 rout of Central Michigan on Saturday.
“I mean, I have a Labrador retriever that could coach that guy,” laughed Poggi, who was filling in for the suspended Sherrone Moore on the Michigan sideline. “He’s unbelievable.”
And believe it or not, this was the plan coming in, at the behest of Moore, who began serving his two-game suspension stemming from Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal on Friday night.
Underwood was effectively withheld from the Wolverines’ run game in his first two starts, partly out of a fear of injury. And paired with an ultra-conservative gameplan last week in that lackluster loss at Oklahoma, it felt as if Moore was forcing his 19-year-old dual-threat quarterback to keep his engine idling.
“But Sherrone really wanted to open things up with him a little bit when he felt it was the right time to do so,” Poggi said. “You know, he’s young and you want to kind of scale him into it. And (offensive coordinator) Chip Lindsey really took that mandate (this week), and I think did a great job. So it was a plan to get him using his legs a little more.”