Michigan rolls UTEP 52-17, but Underwood's zone struggles loom over Iowa trip

Michigan looked every bit like a team that needed a confidence boost in the second half Saturday, and it got one — turning a 14-7 first-half deficit against UTEP into a 52-17 blowout to close out non-conference play at 3-0. The win was comfortable enough that defensive coordinator Jay Hill rotated 35 players, resting starters ahead of what figures to be a far sterner test: a road trip to face Iowa and defensive coordinator Phil Parker.

Quarterback Bryce Underwood earned an A- from Maize n Brew, finishing 19-of-25 for 223 yards and two touchdowns, adding 22 yards on six carries. The lone blemish was a fumble on the opening drive — his second lost fumble in three weeks — but he settled in quickly, going 14-of-17 for 150 yards and a touchdown in the first half alone, what Maize n Brew called his best half throwing the ball since Week 1 of last season. Backup Tommy Carr also made his debut, going 2-of-2 for 23 yards and his first career touchdown.

Underwood continues to get better and Savion Hiter had two scores in the game.— SI.com report

The wide receivers were the offensive highlight, earning an A+. Andrew Marsh led all receivers with 10 receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown — targeted three times on the opening drive alone — while JJ Buchanan added seven catches for 92 yards and a score. Salesi Moa earned his first career start and caught a 19-yard touchdown, his first as a Wolverine. According to SI.com, Moa played 28 snaps and Travis Johnson added 23 more as WR4.

Running back Savion Hiter scored his first two career touchdowns and gained 62 yards, but the position group as a whole earned only a C+ from Maize n Brew. Jordan Marshall added 59 yards and a score but left the game with an injury in the third quarter. The offensive line, graded D-, was the primary culprit — failing to open holes against an undersized UTEP front, particularly in the first half, though it improved after halftime. Right tackle Andrew Sprague missed the game with an injury, forcing Blake Frazier to shift from left to right tackle while Evan Link returned at left tackle.

The tight ends were graded D+ for the third consecutive week, remaining largely absent from the passing game despite coach Kyle Whittingham saying earlier in the week he wanted the group more involved. Zack Marshall drew the start over Jalen Hoffman — who dropped from a dominant snap-count role to just 15 snaps — while Hogan Hansen played his first snaps of the season, logging 13. According to Maize n Brew, the tight ends' limited role caps the offense's ceiling until that changes.

Defensively, the line earned an A+ for the second straight week, recording 11 tackles for loss and getting contributions from depth players Tariq Boney, Carter Meadows, Bobby Kanka, and Benny Patterson. The day's signature moment came from defensive tackle Jonah Lea'ea, who returned an interception for a touchdown in the third quarter. The linebackers (A-) were led by Troy Bowles and Chase Taylor, who made five tackles and half a sack. The defensive backs (B+) held UTEP to just 86 passing yards but allowed a 45-yard touchdown to Carver Cheeks on a blown coverage in the first quarter.

Special teams earned an A: kicker Trey Butkowski converted a 49-yard field goal and was perfect on extra points, while punter Cam Brown was called on just once, for a 45-yard kick.

The rhino position — a hybrid role filled by Manuel Beigel — continues to be a staple of coordinator Jason Beck's offense. Beigel played 29 snaps against UTEP, consistent with his 26- and 29-snap totals in the first two games, according to SI.com.

The larger question hanging over the program is what Underwood does next Saturday. According to CBS Sports, FBS defenses have played zone coverage 69.2% of the time this season, and Underwood's splits against zone are more drastic than the average Power Four quarterback's. Iowa's Parker has built his defense around confusing quarterbacks and generating turnovers — precisely the kind of scheme that has given Underwood the most trouble in his career. CBS Sports notes that Underwood has faced zone more than man coverage because opponents have identified and targeted that weakness.

If Underwood can carry that momentum forward against the Hawkeyes, it could prove to be the turning point not just in a season for the Wolverines, but in Underwood's career. If not, he'll certainly get more opportunities, but the belief in his ability to do so will only diminish further.— CBS Sports analysis

Michigan enters Big Ten play ranked No. 18 with back-to-back strong performances from Underwood after a rocky start — including a near-loss to Western Michigan that prompted questions about whether he would even keep the starting job. His coach, Kyle Whittingham, declined to publicly commit to Underwood as the starter following that game, according to CBS Sports. The Iowa game will be his fourth start in this offense.

Why it matters — Michigan's 3-0 start masks a specific, recurring vulnerability in its franchise quarterback that Iowa's defense is uniquely designed to expose — making next week's Big Ten opener a genuine referendum on whether Underwood can be the QB the program needs.

Reported by cbssports.com, sports.yahoo.com, maizenbrew.com, si.com