Michigan spring game: Young players get their turn in spotlight

Ann Arbor — The starters were never going to be impactful in the Michigan spring game because they either weren’t going to play or they’d be limited, so this was a time for younger players to shine. And with that in mind, these are the names to keep in mind heading into the fall: freshmen Savion Hiter, Salesi Moa and Tommy Carr. Starting quarterback Bryce Underwood only played the first quarter, the “thud” period, on Saturday at Michigan Stadium and he was 3-of-9 for 22 yards in an uneven showing.

“He progressed all through spring,” head coach Kyle Whittingham said of Underwood. “There are some things that may not be noticeable to the general (public), but his footwork, his pocket presence, he’s improved in all areas. He still has work to do.

He knows that. We know that. ” But the spring game was never meant to be the table setter for the upcoming season under Whittingham in the sense that what you saw Saturday would be the exact product on the field this fall.

Of course not, because teams don't want opponents to see many of their cards. Whittingham and his mostly new staff spent spring practice installing a new offense and defense, and he had said the game would really be about the second- and third-string players getting extended reps. With 17 seconds left, running back Tomas O’Meara scored to lift the Maize team to a 7-6 victory over the Blue.