Last time the Michigan football team took the field, Davis Warren started at quarterback, interim offensive coordinator Steve Casula was drawing up plays for tight end Peyton O’Leary and the Wolverines were lined up under the Tampa sun looking to make the most of a rather disappointing season.
What a difference a year can make. Michigan has a new quarterback, a new offensive coordinator, a new starting running back, a new No. 1 receiver and a new statue for Dominic Zvada on the concourse. Don’t fact-check that last one.
There’s so much to watch for in the Wolverines’ season opener against New Mexico, I don’t even know where to start. Just kidding. I know exactly where to start.
Can Bryce Underwood live up to the hype?
The short answer is nobody knows.
Nobody knew when he flipped his commitment from Louisiana State to Michigan late last year, nobody knew after he was up-and-down in the Wolverines’ spring game and nobody could know come Sunday. Depending on just how much is asked from Underwood versus the Lobos, we could be dealing with a past, present and future of not knowing.
The long answer begins with the preface that Underwood was good in high school. So good that he was ranked higher than any other high schooler in his class. So good that he led his team to two state championships. So good that he was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year as a junior. The list goes on.
Then the long answer can go in a variety of directions. There’s lots of differences between high school and college football. Underwood has never played in front of a crowd of over 100,000. He’s never played against a collegiate defense. Or, Underwood has been winning for four years. Michigan signed a $12.5 million NIL deal with him for a reason. Everyone that has watched him says he’s the real deal.
If you want some tangible things to look for on Saturday, see if Underwood displays the qualities Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said he wanted in a quarterback a few weeks before he named Underwood the starter.
“The consistency piece is the biggest thing,” Moore said Aug. 12. “Don’t turn the ball over, (have) command of the offense and then make plays and then we’ll have our quarterback.”
Players and coaches say Underwood checks all those boxes in practice. On Saturday, we’ll see if he can do it in a game.
Can Chip Lindsey turn the offense around?
If you’re not tuned in to Michigan’s offseason hires, the better question is probably: Who’s Chip Lindsey? He’s the Wolverines’ new offensive coordinator with a southern drawl and years of experience coordinating some productive offensive systems. In his first year at North Carolina, the Tar Heels tallied 491.2 yards per game and Drake Maye threw for over 3,608 yards and 24 touchdowns. In his second year at North Carolina, running back Omarion Hampton ran for 1,504 yards and earned first-team All American honors.
That’s a bunch of stats all to say that Lindsey is capable of implementing a dynamic offense. Since he landed in Ann Arbor, Michigan’s players have alluded that the Wolverines’ offense this year might look a little different than it did in 2024.
“I think they will, and they should be, to be honest with you,” junior wide receiver Semaj Morgan said April 11 when asked if people will be surprised when they see Michigan’s new offense. “It might be a little different than tradition, but it’s gonna be great for us. … We always run a lot, to be honest with you. This year, it’s not really a secret. Coach Lindsey, where he came from, his history, he passed a lot where he came from. So coach Lindsey brought in a whole lot of new concepts and things that we like and that will fit us. So I just advise everybody to watch out.”
Don’t expect a complete departure from the smash-football model that the Wolverines have prided themselves on for years. In his introductory press conference, Lindsey affirmed that he’ll uphold Michigan’s DNA of physicality. But don’t be surprised if the Wolverines air it out more often, the running backs are more involved in the passing game or Michigan takes some deep shots that wouldn’t have been possible last year.
With Underwood under center and Lindsey up in the box, the Wolverines’ offense has an incredibly high ceiling.
Did New Mexico’s punter just throw a post route?
Forgive the past two sections for being centered around Michigan. The Wolverines are, in fact, playing New Mexico on Saturday.
In previewing his upcoming opponent, after referencing the significant amount of turnover that the Lobos experienced on their roster, Michigan coach Sherrone Moore made sure to note a unique quirk of New Mexico’s game.
“They run a ridiculous amount of trick plays,” Moore said Monday. “It’s kind of like we do, but a little bit more. So we gotta be ready for that.”
Moore has always had a knack for trick plays. Many of them have involved former running back Donovan Edwards launching it deep. Don’t think that because Edwards is gone, those plays are going to dry up.
But for however many trick plays the Wolverines might run, expect the Lobos to run more. J.B. Brown, Michigan’s special teams coach, told the media on Wednesday that his unit had to be extra prepared.
So when New Mexico brings out its field goal unit, don’t become infatuated with your chicken tenders. Don’t leave your seat to get a bottle of water on a fourth-and-30. Even if the score starts to get out of hand for the Lobos, keep your eyes on the field.
An underdog by over 30 points, be ready for New Mexico to pull out all the stops — even if it means getting a little unorthodox with some schemes.
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If you’ve watched a Michigan football game before, especially if your last reference point was last year’s team, be on the watch for how the new offense plays out. Keep your eyes peeled for any trick plays. It’ll be hard to miss Bryce Underwood, but in case you get lost, he’ll be wearing No. 19.
If, at some point, you become displeased with the stars on the field, don’t worry. It’s a night game, so look up, and check out the stars in the sky.
