This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed.
AIPROPX ReportYahoo Sports · 1h ago
Jason Beck says Bryce Underwood has strung together 13 good practices
There are high expectations for Michigan football quarterback Bryce Underwood, but few expect him to actually improve upon his freshman year. And yet, it appears he's doing just that.
Last Wednesday, the Big Ten Network took in a practice in Ann Arbor, and head coach Kyle Whittingham said that he gives Underwood an A-plus for his performances thus far in fall camp. His offensive coordinator, Jason Beck, won't go that far, but he's noted that Underwood is doing precisely what they've asked of him thus far.
"Bryce has had 13 good practices," Beck said. "Just working hard, consistent. There's not these big ups and downs. In the spring there were some highs and some lows. This has been 13 good practices. He's been really steady. Tons to improve. It's hard to get an A-plus, just in terms of, I just remember the negatives. That's all that stands out is the questions you get wrong. But he's had a nice camp and done a nice job."
The big thing for Underwood has been improving both his mechanics and his decision-making. As far as Beck sees it, those things are improving, but even though it is a concerted effort, his development isn't as much about looking under the hood at every granular detail as it's been about getting the offense right and then working from there.
"When we got here, it was not, 'Hey, here's the footwork and this is what we do,'" Beck said. "It was install and go through spring, and now as we've gone through spring, OK, here's some things that I've seen consistently we want to work on. And he's made improvements in that, and it's shown off, and it's looked better and allowed him to make some strides. However, that stuff is like the last thing you're thinking of.
You're just, 'Hey, here's the play and here's my read and here's the coverage and here's. . .' you're not thinking about that. And so whenever you start playing, and bullets become live and real and all that, there's always that element of you're going to revert to -- I don't know what the word is, but the subconscious. Just whatever you're doing without thinking. And he's been really -- anyway, so he's made nice strides. We'll continue to emphasize it and play to his strengths and put him in the best situation to be successful."
One thing Beck notes is that Underwood, on tape from last year, was trying to do too much at times. He still sees that, and while he's not trying to coach that out of him entirely, it's about being smarter when he does try to put the offense on his back by running the football or scrambling out of the pocket.
The expectation is that Underwood will be a run threat -- Beck acknowledges that he prefers a running quarterback -- but he wants him to be smart about what he does when he has the ball in his hands.
"Just make the routine plays. Make the normal plays. Make the routine plays," Beck said. "When everything breaks down, extend it, scramble, get what you can get. We've worked a lot of scramble drill with training with that and those decisions as well."
There are just over two weeks until the September 5 season opener against Western Michigan at The Big House. Fall camp will continue for another week and a half before officially transitioning to game week.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Jason Beck says Bryce Underwood has strung together 13 good practices
Jason BeckBryce UnderwoodMichiganThereLast WednesdayBig Ten NetworkAnn ArborKyle WhittinghamUnderwoodBryceBeckJust
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.
