A QUICK LOOK In: michigan vs Penn state game preview

Michigan’s quarterback situation has been the talk, but the job is Bryce Underwood’s for now. Kyle Whittingham said Monday that Underwood is “our guy” and that Jason Beck will keep calling plays.

Underwood has been the center of the offense’s problems: he’s completing 59.3% of his passes for 881 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions. The Wolverines managed just 180 total yards in the loss to Minnesota. Backup Tommy Carr took about half of the first-team reps during the bye week, and Whittingham left the door open by saying something has to give if the turnovers aren’t fixed quickly.

That makes Saturday a high-stakes day for the Wolverines (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten), who are ranked 17th in the 18-team Big Ten in both scoring and total offense. Underwood has lost three fumbles on top of the interceptions, so ball security is the story. Another multi-turnover afternoon against a Penn State team that badly needs a win could push Whittingham toward the Carr switch, possibly as soon as the Indiana game next week. 

Penn State (3-3, 0-3) is in first-year coach Matt Campbell’s rough introduction to the Big Ten.

The offense looked fantastic early, with Iowa State transfer Rocco Becht throwing for 271 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-0 opener against Marshall. It has since stalled, mostly on the ground. The Nittany Lions ran for just 48 and 68 yards in their last two games, barely over 2 yards a carry, and Campbell and coordinator Taylor Mouser are open to shuffling the offensive line. That’s a tough spot against Michigan’s 17th-ranked rushing defense, which is rested after the bye. 

Both teams are 0-for-the-Big Ten and both first-year coaches are under pressure, so this one is about who makes fewer mistakes. Michigan has the home field and the better run defense, but its offense has been so turnover-prone that Penn State doesn’t need to do much to stay in it.

If Underwood protects the ball and the Wolverines lean on their defense, they should grind out a low-scoring win. If he doesn’t, the quarterback conversation in Ann Arbor will get a lot louder.