ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan Wolverines offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey shared his thoughts on Bryce Underwood‘s start after two games against different opponents.
“I think he’s off to a good start overall. You know, the first game we got him into a good rhythm. And I think that’s what didn’t happen the other night,” said Lindsey.
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Lindsey explained that rhythm can be affected by penalties or negative plays, and while the team had few penalties recently, missed opportunities and communication issues played a role.
He praised Underwood’s ball security, noting, “He’s done that. He’s been very, very good with his hand, you know, keeping two hands on it in the pocket. Not throwing it into a lot of traffic.”
When asked why the offense struggled to find rhythm, Lindsey credited the Oklahoma Sooners’ strong defense and said, “Going into that game, we were like, ‘Hey, we need to win the time possession. We need to not turn the ball over.’ And to win the time possession, you have to be good on third downs. And we weren’t.”
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Lindsey emphasized the importance of third-down success, “Our goal is to be 50% on third downs. We weren’t that, and therefore, we didn’t get to stay on the field. Therefore, their offense plays more plays.”
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Lindsey said, “We didn’t play to our standard, that’s for sure. The standard I expect us to play here at Michigan and the standard that I have set for offense.”
Regarding the game plan, Lindsey acknowledged it may have seemed conservative but explained, “There was definitely a philosophy of hey, to win this game as a team. I think everything starts with how do we win the game, you know? And really, I think to do that again, it goes back to possessing the ball.”
On the running game, Lindsey noted a drop in explosive runs from the first to the second game and said, “We need more explosive runs. We need to create more opportunities for that.”
Discussing quarterback runs, Lindsey said, “Quarterback runs are in our game plan every week. Bryce’s very capable of doing a great job with that.”
When asked about simplifying the offense, Lindsey said, “Simplifying means doing what we’ve proven in practice, probably that we’re good at. Getting back to the fundamentals and basics of what we’re able to execute.”
Lindsey also shared how much he studied Underwood’s high school film, saying, “You could see things that highlight his ability, but we probably lean more on what we’ve seen him do here than there.”
On the offensive line, Lindsey praised Giovanni El-Hadi, who was lost early in a game, and said, “Our guys that stepped in did a solid job filling in for him, but we did have a couple things in there that need to be cleaned up.”
Balancing Underwood’s running ability with his health, Lindsey said, “The hardest thing coming from high school is learning that the game, the guys are bigger, they’re faster, you’ve got to learn to take care of yourself. Bryce is making a lot of strides in that area.”
Addressing missed assignments and communication issues, Lindsey said, “It was a loud environment, just being young in some areas that we need to make sure we tie up.”
On third downs, Lindsey admitted, “You’ve got to be better in first and second down so you’ll have shorter third downs. Looking back, probably need to do a better job of giving him better opportunities.”
Regarding Underwood’s authority at the line of scrimmage, Lindsey said, “He’s got authority. He did a great job changing the protection. He’s really done a nice job of that stuff so far.”
Finally, Lindsey commented on the team’s motivation despite the absence of head coach Sherrone Moore for two weeks, saying, “I like the direction we’re headed. Those guys were excited to be out there in practice. The focus and the attitude, the energy, and the body language were there for sure.”