The Michigan Insider

Michigan's offense is in crisis — and the clock is ticking on Bryce Underwood and the coaches to find answers. In this week's Michigan Football Breakdown, The Michigan Insider's Sam Webb joins former Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges and former defensive coordinator Ron English to dissect the Wolverines' disappointing 20-14 loss at Minnesota and the issues behind another second-half collapse. The scrutiny starts with Underwood's troubling response to pressure: deteriorating footwork, dropping his eyes toward the rush, moving into pressure, missing opportunities and losing his composure when defenses turn up the heat. But the problems extend well beyond the quarterback. The trio examines an ineffective running game, Michigan's heavy reliance on Rhino personnel, predictable tendencies and the failure to punish aggressive defenses with downfield shots. Most importantly, they lay out what must change during the bye — from rebuilding Underwood's fundamentals and moving the pocket to adjusting personnel and scheme — and why, if Underwood can't respond, Michigan may soon have no choice but to make a change at quarterback.
(00:00) Michigan's Second Straight Collapse Raises Bigger Questions
(02:12) Ron Says Michigan's Defense Played Well but Still Has Another Level
(06:33) Borges Gives His Broad Diagnosis of Michigan's Offensive Failure
(12:58) Borges Corrects the Narrative About Michigan's Downhill Running
(16:21) Borges and English Explain the Problem With Michigan's Rhino Package
(24:38) Borges Says Michigan Must Punish Safeties With Shot Plays
(28:44) Bryce's Composure Is a Major Problem, but Not Michigan's Only One
(33:29) Borges Says Michigan Needs More Pocket Movement and Better Footwork
(38:27) Borges Says Bryce's First Interception Was Primarily a Footwork Mistake
(45:04) Borges Says Bryce Was Not Responsible for the Second Interception
(49:35) Bryce's Mistakes Are Real — and His Job Is Not Guaranteed
(53:04) English and Borges Lay Out Their Bye-Week Priorities
(58:09) Borges Gives His Tactical Prescription for Michigan's Offense
(1:02:58) The Coaches Say Michigan's Problems Go Far Beyond One Player
(1:10:15)

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz break down the Michigan football team’s 20-14 loss at Minnesota, and that the Wolverines’ second straight loss means for Michigan’s bye week and remaining seven games.
They open with a look at the Wolverines’ offensive struggles, and how they came to a head in Minneapolis. They discuss the scheme issues, the run-game’s poor performance on all fronts so far, the statuses of offensive coordinator Jason Beck and quarterback Bryce Underwood, and what Michigan’s approach should be in the bye week.
In the second half of the episode, they look at Michigan’s defense. They discuss that, while paling in comparison to the Wolverines’ offensive issues, the defense has a few key things to clean up before much tougher offenses appear on Michigan’s schedule.
They close with a discussion about the Wolverines playing like a poorly coached team, where this ranks among Michigan’s worst losses in the last decade and what it all means for the rest of the 2026 season.

Michigan went to Minneapolis needing a response after its late collapse against Iowa. Instead, the Wolverines delivered an even more alarming sequel. In this week's Michigan Insider Postgame Recap, Sam Webb, Josh Newkirk and Alejandro Zuniga dissect Michigan's disappointing 20-14 loss to Minnesota — a game in which a 14-7 halftime lead unraveled amid three second-half turnovers, another costly special-teams mistake and an offense that again failed to find answers once momentum turned. The discussion digs into an offensive attack that still lacks a dependable identity, Michigan's continued struggles to establish a downhill running game, Bryce Underwood's regression after showing encouraging progress against Iowa, and several troubling examples of players appearing to be on different pages — from questionable zone-read/RPO execution to snap-count breakdowns and recurring communication issues. Webb, Newkirk and Zuniga also examine perhaps the biggest concern of all: Michigan's inability to adjust when games begin slipping away. While Minnesota changed its approach after halftime to counter Michigan's pressure, the Wolverines never found a comparable offensive answer, leaving a defense that forced turnovers and produced a touchdown increasingly exhausted by repeated short fields and extended time on the field. Now Michigan enters its bye week at 3-2 with Kyle Whittingham promising to reassess everything — personnel, scheme and even the coaching staff — after calling the offensive performance unacceptable. With Penn State waiting on the other side of the break, the conversation shifts from diagnosing another collapse to a bigger question: What does Michigan need to change before a disappointing start becomes a lost season?
(00:00) Michigan Suffers Another Second-Half Collapse Against Minnesota
(03:54) Michigan's East-West Run Game Fails to Adjust to Minnesota
(04:19) Michigan's Offense Looks Completely Out of Sync
(06:18) Michigan Still Has Not Established an Offensive Identity
(08:17) Bryce Underwood Regresses After His Strong Iowa Performance
(10:43) Repeated Miscommunication Becomes a Coaching Issue
(13:05) Michigan Has to Reevaluate Personnel and Scheme During the Bye Week
(13:54) Whittingham Says Michigan Will Reassess Everything
(16:46) Michigan May Have More Talent but It Has Not Earned the Results
(18:08) Michigan Needs Real In-Game Offensive Adjustments
(21:16) Heavy Rhino Usage May Be Limiting Michigan's Passing Game
(23:02) Mic ...

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz preview keys for the Michigan football team to beat Minnesota on the road, and predict how the game will unfold.
They open with a look at Michigan’s offense, and how it can bounce back from its loss to Iowa. They break down the run game, drives that stalled in the red zone and the next step for the passing game against Minnesota’s defense.
In the second half of the episode, they look at keys for the wolverines’ defense. They discuss penalties, handling Minnesota’s short-range passing game and other factors. They also make their predictions for the game.