{"id":2563,"date":"2025-09-02T03:49:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T03:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/2025\/09\/02\/what-to-watch-for-new-mexico\/"},"modified":"2025-09-02T03:49:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T03:49:19","slug":"what-to-watch-for-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/2025\/09\/02\/what-to-watch-for-new-mexico\/","title":{"rendered":"What to watch for: New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>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\u2019Leary and the Wolverines were lined up under the Tampa sun looking to make the most of a rather disappointing season.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019t fact-check that last one.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s so much to watch for in the Wolverines\u2019 season opener against New Mexico, I don\u2019t even know where to start. Just kidding. I know exactly where to start.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can Bryce Underwood live up to the hype?<\/strong><\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1    \">\n<style><![CDATA[@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 250px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 90px;}}]]><\/style>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The short answer is nobody knows.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019 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.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Then the long answer can go in a variety of directions. There\u2019s lots of differences between high school and college football. Underwood has never played in front of a crowd of over 100,000. He\u2019s 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\u2019s the real deal.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-2    \">\n<style><![CDATA[@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 250px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 90px;}}]]><\/style>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThe consistency piece is the biggest thing,\u201d Moore said Aug. 12. \u201cDon\u2019t turn the ball over, (have) command of the offense and then make plays and then we\u2019ll have our quarterback.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Players and coaches say Underwood checks all those boxes in practice. On Saturday, we\u2019ll see if he can do it in a game.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can Chip Lindsey turn the offense around?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re not tuned in to Michigan\u2019s offseason <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/football\/report-chip-lindsey-to-be-named-michigans-offensive-coordinator\/\">hires<\/a>, the better question is probably: Who\u2019s Chip Lindsey? He\u2019s the Wolverines\u2019 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a bunch of stats all to say that Lindsey is capable of implementing a dynamic offense. Since he landed in Ann Arbor, Michigan\u2019s players have alluded that the Wolverines\u2019 offense this year might look a little different than it did in 2024.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-3    \">\n<style><![CDATA[@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 250px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 90px;}}]]><\/style>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cI think they will, and they should be, to be honest with you,\u201d junior wide receiver Semaj Morgan <a href=\"https:\/\/otter.ai\/u\/LWmu_KorKYB0Kbrg7xJiru7SBnw?tab=chat&amp;view=transcript\">said<\/a> April 11 when asked if people will be surprised when they see Michigan\u2019s new offense. \u201cIt might be a little different than tradition, but it\u2019s gonna be great for us. \u2026 We always run a lot, to be honest with you. This year, it\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t expect a complete departure from the smash-football model that the Wolverines have prided themselves on for years. In his introductory press conference, Lindsey <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/football\/chip-lindsey-identifying-talent-and-adapting-in-spring-practices\/\">affirmed<\/a> that he\u2019ll uphold Michigan\u2019s DNA of physicality. But don\u2019t 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\u2019t have been possible last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>With Underwood under center and Lindsey up in the box, the Wolverines\u2019 offense has an incredibly high ceiling.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Did New Mexico\u2019s punter just throw a post route?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Forgive the past two sections for being centered around Michigan. The Wolverines are, in fact, playing New Mexico on Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-4    \">\n<style><![CDATA[@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-4{min-height: 250px;}}]]><\/style>\n<\/aside>\n<p>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\u2019s game.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey run a ridiculous amount of trick plays,\u201d Moore said Monday. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like we do, but a little bit more. So we gotta be ready for that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Moore has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/football\/sherrone-moore-running-more-trick-plays\/\">always<\/a> had a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/football\/trick-plays-leave-michigan-grinning-in-win-over-michigan-state\/\">knack<\/a> for trick plays. Many of them have involved former running back Donovan Edwards launching it deep. Don\u2019t think that because Edwards is gone, those plays are going to dry up.<\/p>\n<p>But for however many trick plays the Wolverines might run, expect the Lobos to run more. J.B. Brown, Michigan\u2019s special teams coach, told the media on Wednesday that his unit had to be extra prepared.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So when New Mexico brings out its field goal unit, don\u2019t become infatuated with your chicken tenders. Don\u2019t 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-5    \">\n<style><![CDATA[@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-5{min-height: 250px;}}]]><\/style>\n<\/aside>\n<p>An underdog by over 30 points, be ready for New Mexico to pull out all the stops \u2014\u00a0even if it means getting a little unorthodox with some schemes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">***<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve watched a Michigan football game before, especially if your last reference point was last year\u2019s team, be on the watch for how the new offense plays out. Keep your eyes peeled for any trick plays. It\u2019ll be hard to miss Bryce Underwood, but in case you get lost, he\u2019ll be wearing No. 19.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If, at some point, you become displeased with the stars on the field, don\u2019t worry. It\u2019s a night game, so look up, and check out the stars in the sky.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"newspack-popup-container newspack-popup hidden  newspack-inline-popup      \" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF;color:#000\" id=\"id_162162\" data-segments=\"\" data-frequency=\"0,0,0,month\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Please consider donating to The Michigan Daily<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><h3 class=\"jp-relatedposts-headline\"><em>Related articles<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u2019Leary and the Wolverines were lined up under the Tampa sun looking to make the most of a rather disappointing season.\u00a0 What a difference a year can make. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2564,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[2746,1825],"class_list":{"0":"post-2563","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-mexico","9":"tag-watch"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2563"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2563\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2565,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2563\/revisions\/2565"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}