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Kyle Whittingham ‘Not Tied to’ Bryce Underwood Amid Michigan QB Struggles

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Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham did not recruit Bryce Underwood. He wasn’t involved in the massive NIL deal that brought Underwood to Ann Arbor. And he certainly wasn’t the coach who named the former No. 1 overall recruit the starting quarterback as a true freshman.

That could make what happens next between Whittingham and Underwood — who struggled in the Wolverines’ narrow Week 1 win over in-state foe Western Michigan — particularly interesting.

“Kyle Whittingham is not tied to Bryce Underwood,” FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt said Wednesday on “The Herd.” “It was not Kyle’s decision to give Bryce Underwood the NIL deal. He’s not as tied to Underwood as the previous coaching staff.” 

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That dynamic could come into focus quickly Saturday, when Michigan hosts No. 11 Oklahoma in one of the most intriguing games of Week 2.

Underwood’s first game under Whittingham didn’t exactly go according to plan. The sophomore quarterback — recruited to Michigan by former head coach Sherrone Moore and his staff — completed just 12 of 22 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown and two turnovers in the win.

Earlier this week, Whittingham made it clear that Underwood’s status as Michigan’s starting quarterback isn’t necessarily permanent.

“He’s our QB right now, and it’s not something that’s infinite,” Whittingham said. “At some point, we’ve got to turn a corner.”

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Underwood appeared surprised Wednesday when a reporter asked him about his coach’s comments.

“There were comments about that?” Underwood said. “That’s cool. I didn’t see that. It’s cool.”

So, how will this all play out when Underwood and the Wolverines go up against one of the top defenses in the country Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor?

“I think that makes this week interesting,” Klatt said. “How effective is he? How long does he stay in the game if he is ineffective? That’s a question.”

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This is new territory for Whittingham, who arrived at Michigan after 20 seasons at Utah, where he became the winningest coach in program history. He inherited Underwood and the rest of the Wolverines’ roster when he took over in Ann Arbor.

Klatt believes that distinction matters, as Whittingham isn’t simply tasked with deciding whether Underwood is talented enough to be Michigan’s starting quarterback. He’s tasked with figuring out how to put him in the best possible position to succeed.

“I’m a firm believer that the best coaches put their players in the best position to be successful,” Klatt said. “So you’ve got to decide: What can our guy do well … and now let’s build a system around what he can do well.”

Bryce Underwood completed 12 of 22 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown and added two turnovers in Michigan's Week 1 win. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

Bryce Underwood completed 12 of 22 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown and added two turnovers in Michigan’s Week 1 win. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

That is where Michigan appeared to struggle in Week 1.

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“What it looked like against Western Michigan was oil and water,” Klatt said. “You have a quarterback running a system that just didn’t look like it was gelling.”

That will need to change on Saturday as Michigan won’t have the luxury of easing its way into its Week 2 matchup against standout quarterback John Mateer and the No. 11-ranked Sooners.

If Underwood struggles again, the question Klatt raised becomes increasingly relevant: 

How much patience does Whittingham have?

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The Vikings’ Depth Chart Offers Up 3 Surprises Ahead of GB Game

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The Vikings’ depth chart isn’t necessarily indicative of how the snaps will get divvied up. Nevertheless, there’s some insight contained in Minnesota’s debut roster hierarchy.

Already, the knowledge is out there that J.J. McCarthy will function as the QB3. Some will see that as the expected outcome rather than something that’s truly surprising. Regardless of where one stands on the QB debate, there are some other notable details to emerge from the Week 1 depth chart. Check ’em out.

The Vikings’ Depth Chart | 3 Surprises

No. 1 — Harrison Smith Starts Atop the Pile

Vikings S Harrison Smith at Dallas in Week 15
Dec 7, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings free safety Harrison Smith (22) intercepts a pass against the Washington Commanders during the second half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Earlier in the week, head coach Kevin O’Connell had to fend off questions about whether Harrison Smith would be ready in time for Week 1. After all, there’s a difference between being in shape and being in football shape, something coach and player alike will acknowledge.

That uncertainty didn’t get passed along to the Vikings’ depth chart.

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Mr. Smith finds himself listed among the starters alongside Josh Metellus. Doing so bumps Theo Jackson and Jay Ward down into the backup slots. Next up are rookies Jakobe Thomas and Jacob Thomas as the third-string players who will mostly play on specials.

Expect Smith to be active but to be on a pitch count.

No. 2 — Ivan Pace Jr. is Hanging In

Ivan Pace Jr. celebrates after returning a fumble for a touchdown during a Vikings game against the Detroit Lions.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (0) celebrates after returning a fumble for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Oct 20, 2024. Pace raises his arms in celebration following the defensive score during the NFC North matchup late in the game. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.

Linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. has seen his career move in a downward trajectory since exploding as a rookie back in 2023. Since then, Mr. Pace has seen his playing time decrease in consecutive years.

Does he find a way to reverse the trend in 2026?

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Pace sees his name listed before rookie Jake Golday. Maybe that’s just how the digital ink got spilled up and not indicate of who would get inserted into the game if LB1 Blake Cashman or LB2 Eric Wilson got hurt.

Best guess on my end is that Golday will earn more defensive snaps before it’s all said and done, but that’s merely one person’s perspective. Pace, in particular, is going to have something to say. He’s playing in a contract year and had several nice moments in the offseason.

No. 3 — Returner Jobs Still Belongs to Myles Price

NFL: Dublin Game-Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sep 28, 2025; Dublin, Ireland; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Myles Price (4) returns a punt during the third quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers during an NFL International Series game at Croke Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Nobody expected Mr. Price to get bumped from the PR1 job. The KR1 job was a touch less certain.

The sophomore UDFA is closer to quick than blistering fast. Now, that’s not to say that he doesn’t have an impressive top speed, but a sprint from endzone to endzone would mean seeing somebody like Tai Felton win. In contrast, a battle to see who could break a defender’s ankles in a phone booth would go toward Price, who has excellent agility.

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Felton finds himself as the top backup for both the PR and KR job. Otherwise, Demond Claiborne is the KR3, someone who could challenge Felton and Isaiah Rodgers for the fastest Minnesota Viking.

The Vikings haven’t had a returner touchdown in several years. Seeing the curse broken at some point in 2026 would obviously be a nice boost toward Minnesota arriving at a promising season.


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Law football shuts out Hamden as QB Matt Witteman accounts for all five touchdowns

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HAMDEN – Matt Witteman performed as you would expect from one of Connecticut‘s top returning quarterbacks Thursday night – he accounted for all five of Law’s touchdowns.

And if the Lawmen can provide more defensive efforts like they did against Hamden, then they will be tough to beat. Law forced four turnovers in the 36-0 win over the Green Dragons in an SCC football game at Joe Bruno Field.

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“We have really high expectations for this defense, so we were just expecting to do really good this week and that’s what we did,” said Alex Konilan, who had a fumble recovery for Law.

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Law forced three turnovers in the third quarter alone, leading to 14 points – two touchdown runs by Witteman for 20 and 2 yards, respectively.

“The defense was on fire today,” Witteman said. “Offensively, we started out a little bit slow, but the defense was right there to pick us up. We have a lot of trust in them and we believe in them, so for them to come through and just pick us up when we’re down, it’s huge for us.”

Konilan had his fumble recovery early in the third quarter right after Hamden recovered an onside kick to begin the half. Marquis Rose picked off Witteman on Law’s first possession of the second half.

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Logan Mullarkey intercepted Hamden quarterback Soren Wallin and Seamus Fedigan recovered a fumble for the Lawmen. Fedigan also recovered a fumble in the first half, deep in Hamden territory.

“They’ve been playing out of their minds,” Law coach Ryan Pearson said of the defense. “They have been playing super-fast, super-physical. The last couple of scrimmages leading into this, they’ve been electric and just playing hard and always fast to the ball and I love to see that.”

In addition to the four turnovers, Hamden came up short on a couple of fourth-down plays, including one late in the first half deep in Law territory.

“I think this game started last Friday. I think the way we approach practices, if we want to be a good team, we got to get better in practice,” Hamden coach Tom Dyer said. “Our practice habits have got to be better, our commitment level’s got to be better. … You can’t come against a Jonathan Law playoff team (in Class SS last season) with a quarterback as dynamic as the Witteman kid, you’re not going to be able to turn the ball over four times.”

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A 52-yard touchdown run by Hamden’s Josh Johnson in the first quarter was also negated due to a holding penalty.

“Credit to Law and Coach Pearson, their game plan was great, they did a nice job, but I also think we left things on the table,” Dyer said. “We are going to evaluate this and look at what do we need to correct to get better, and as coaches, how can we help get our kids in a better spot to win.”

Player of the Game

Matt Witteman, Law: The senior quarterback got off to a slow start with three incompletions, but picked things up in the second quarter and accounted for all five of Law’s touchdowns (three passing, two rushing).

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Quotable

“Expectations can be high, but the kids don’t really buy into it and they just keep doing what they got to do and keep playing hard.”
-Law football coach Ryan Pearson

Law 36, Hamden 0

LAW 3 12 14 7-36
HAMDEN 0 0 0 0- 0

L-Aiden Ramos 35 field goal
L-Dylan Gillard 7 pass from Matt Witteman (pass failed)
L-Hunter Kendzierski 52 pass from Witteman (run failed)
L-Witteman 20 run (Ramos kick)
L-Witteman 2 run (Ramos kick)
L-Reid Moulton 13 pass from Witteman (Ramos kick)

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Law 1-0; Hamden 0-1.

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This article originally published at Law football shuts out Hamden as QB Matt Witteman accounts for all five touchdowns.

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Kuldeep Yadav sends loud message to Gautam Gambhir and management after stunning 10-wicket haul | Cricket News

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Kuldeep Yadav sends loud message to Gautam Gambhir and management after stunning 10-wicket haul
Kuldeep Yadav and Gautam Gambhir (Image credit: AFP)

Kuldeep Yadav remains part of India’s Test squad but has often struggled to find a place in the playing XI. The left-arm wrist-spinner, however, reminded everyone of his capabilities on Thursday (September 10), claiming 10 wickets for 120 runs as Yorkshire completed a huge County Championship victory over Essex at Headingley.Kuldeep produced his best-ever bowling figures in First Class cricket, returning four for 70 in the first innings before following it up with six for 50 in the second. His combined effort helped Yorkshire dismiss Essex for 171 and 113 and secure a 106-run victory.The performance came on a pitch that offered plenty of encouragement to spin, although Kuldeep’s impact was not limited to the ball. He also contributed 36 off 94 deliveries to Yorkshire’s total of 390.

Kuldeep explains how Headingley helped his bowling

Kuldeep felt the surface allowed him to focus on his strengths rather than trying to generate excessive pace through the air.“It was a lovely wicket to bowl on because you don’t have to bowl quick in terms of pace because the wicket already has pace in it,” he told Yorkshire Cricket TV.The spinner explained that the conditions allowed him to focus on imparting plenty of revolutions on the ball, while also highlighting the contrast with what he encounters in India.“After pitching, you can see there is a bit of quickness and you just have to spin the ball and put a lot of revs on it. Ultimately, that was the key. If you compare it to Indian conditions, it’s totally different. Back home when you bowl, you will get to see a lot of spin, but the wickets are on the slower side and the batsmen can adjust sometimes. Here, because of the quickness, if they go back foot, they get trapped and probably they have to play front foot. That’s where you have a better chance of getting them caught behind or slip or maybe short-leg.”

A timely response after a difficult Test run

The Yorkshire performance assumes greater significance given Kuldeep’s recent struggles to establish himself in India’s Test XI.During the recent two-Test series against Sri Lanka, he bowled the fewest overs among India’s spinners in the first Test before being left out of the playing XI for the second.His Test career has frequently followed a similar pattern. Despite making his debut back in 2017 and establishing himself as one of India’s most accomplished white-ball spinners, Kuldeep has played only 19 Tests, highlighting how difficult it has been for him to secure a prolonged run in the longest format.For several years, India’s spin department was dominated by Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Both offered not only quality bowling but also significant contributions with the bat, making them central to India’s team balance.That left Kuldeep competing for a place whenever conditions favoured an additional spinner.The landscape has now shifted considerably.Ashwin has retired, while Jadeja, at 37, is moving towards the latter stages of his career. On paper, that appeared to open the door for Kuldeep to take on a much bigger role in India’s Test plans. There was an expectation that, with Ashwin gone, Kuldeep would emerge as India’s leading spinner.That, however, has not happened.Kuldeep remains part of the Test squad, but a regular place in the playing XI has continued to elude him. India still place a premium on batting depth when putting together their Test combinations, while other spin options have also strengthened their claims.Washington Sundar has increasingly established himself as an important part of India’s Test plans. His off-spin gives the attack another bowling option, while his ability with the bat makes him particularly valuable when India are looking for greater balance in the XI.Manav Suthar, meanwhile, has emerged as another serious contender. The left-arm spinner made an impressive start to his Test career, taking seven wickets on debut against Afghanistan before following it up with a 10-wicket haul in his second Test against Sri Lanka.Those performances have strengthened Suthar’s case as a potential long-term option for India.Yet Kuldeep brings a quality neither of them quite replicates.Suthar offers accuracy and control, while Kuldeep’s wrist-spin gives India a different threat. His ability to turn the ball sharply and create opportunities with variation makes him a distinct option when the conditions and opposition call for it.

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Dustin Rhodes announces heartbreaking injury to rising star; replaces her with AEW name

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AEW veteran Dustin Rhodes announced a change for an upcoming wrestling event organized by him after a talent scheduled to compete in it suffered an injury. The latter, Brooke Havok, will be substituted by All Elite Wrestling and Ring of Honor performer Robyn Renegade.

Brooke Havok began her pro-wrestling journey in 2020, getting her early training from Cody Rhodes and QT Marshall in the Nightmare Factory. She has been competing extensively on the independent circuit over the past six years, and has made appearances on All Elite Wrestling programming a few times as well. The California-born star has also wrestled in Ring of Honor, AEW’s sister-promotion, on a number of occasions since 2023.

Brooke was last seen in action at a Power Pro Lucha event last Friday, where she and her Team Lodestone partners Amira and Janai Kai were defeated by GummiBurger in a trios bout. Havok was evidently scheduled to compete this coming Sunday at 80s Fever 2026, a show hosted by Dustin Rhodes‘ organization Rhodes Wrestling Association. The Natural’s latest X/Twitter update has revealed, however, that the 27-year-old is now unfortunately out of the event due to injury, and that ROH star Robyn Renegade will be taking her place.

“Announcement: @BrookeHavok is out this Sunday after an injury. @RhodesWrestling wishes her a speedy recovery. Taking her place will be none other than @RobynRen18 from #ROH,” posted Dustin.

Announcement: @BrookeHavok is out this Sunday after an injury. @RhodesWrestling wishes her a speedy recovery. Taking her place will be none other than @RobynRen18 from #ROH

Dustin Rhodes has been missing from AEW due to injury

Dustin Rhodes has been away from in-ring action since he lost his TNT Championship to the Don Callis Family’s Kyle Fletcher on the July 31, 2025 episode of AEW Collision. After facing a brutal post-match ambush at the hands of The Protostar following their vicious Chicago Street Fight, the Artist Formerly Known as Goldust went under the knife for double knee replacement surgeries in August.

Dustin has been on the mend since then, although a report from this past March claimed that the veteran had returned backstage to resume his duties as a producer for Dynamite and Collision. Later in June, he confirmed that he had not yet been medically cleared, albeit emphasizing that he is “very close” to making his comeback.

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It remains to be seen when Rhodes will return to All Elite Wrestling programming.