Minnesota beats Michigan 20-14; Bryce Underwood's play and NIL deal draw scrutiny
Minnesota upset Michigan 20-14 on Saturday, the Wolverines' second straight Big Ten loss. Commentators are questioning quarterback Bryce Underwood's play and whether coach Kyle Whittingham should bench him.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 1Minnesota beat Michigan 20-14 at Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday 3 October, after entering as 8.5-point underdogs, and fans stormed the field afterwards. Fox NewsR “they stormed the field to celebrate the Gophers' 20-14 win after coming into the game as 8.5-point underdogs” Read at Fox News ↗ Mixed · 2The loss left Michigan 3-2 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play, following a loss to Iowa on the final play the week before. NewsweekN “The loss drops Michigan to 3-2 on the year and 0-2 in Big Ten play.” Read at Newsweek ↗ Fox NewsR “After losing to Iowa last weekend on the final play of the game” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 1Fox News's OutKick says Minnesota had not beaten Michigan at home since 1977, and the Little Brown Jug stays in Minneapolis for the next year. Fox NewsR “Minnesota hadn’t beaten Michigan at home since 1977” Read at Fox News ↗
Right · 1Minnesota coach PJ Fleck said after the game: "Besides my marriage and kids being born, this might be the best day of my life." Fox NewsR “"Besides my marriage and kids being born, this might be the best day of my life," Minnesota coach PJ Fleck said postgame.” Read at Fox News ↗ Centre · 1Newsweek reports Michigan managed only 180 total yards. Underwood, a sophomore and the former No. 1 ranked quarterback recruit, threw for 101 yards, completed 47.6 percent of his passes and had no passing or rushing touchdowns. NewsweekN “recording just 180 total yards of offense”“threw for just 101 yards while completing just 47.6 percent of his passes” Read at Newsweek ↗ Centre · 1Former Colorado head coach Rick Neuheisel, now a CBS Sports analyst, said Michigan and coach Kyle Whittingham should "move away" from Underwood, not necessarily permanently. He said the offense ranks 17th of 18 Big Ten teams and that Underwood would benefit from learning from the sideline. NewsweekN “It doesn't have to be a permanent deal.”“Underwood and the Michigan offense is 17th of 18 teams in the Big Ten.” Read at Newsweek ↗
Centre · 1Newsweek names Tommy Carr and Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi as possible alternatives. Michigan has a bye in Week 6 before facing Penn State, and still has games against ranked opponents such as Indiana, Oregon, UCLA and Ohio State. NewsweekN “other options like Tommy Carr or Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi”“their next matchup against Penn State, which comes after a much-needed bye week in Week 6” Read at Newsweek ↗ Right · 1Fox News's OutKick column argues that Michigan donors who funded the roster wasted money. It says Underwood signed a deal worth around $10 million over its life before arriving on campus, and that Whittingham, who did not recruit Underwood, may have to bench the quarterback "no matter how much money is invested". Fox NewsR “a lucrative contract that would see Underwood be paid around $10 million for the life of his deal in Ann Arbor”“no matter how much money is invested in such a prized recruit at the time” Read at Fox News ↗ Centre · 1Newsweek notes Neuheisel's remark that NIL money brought Underwood from LSU back to Michigan, his home state. NewsweekN “NIL brought Bryce Underwood away from LSU and back to his home state of Michigan” Read at Newsweek ↗
Right · 1Elsewhere in the game, Minnesota lineman Bennett Warren accidentally kicked quarterback Drake Lindsey in the groin during a celebration after a first down. Minnesota, now 4-1, plays at Purdue next. Fox NewsR “Minnesota's Bennett Warren accidentally kicked QB Drake Lindsey in the groin during a celebration”“the 4-1 Gophers will head to West Lafayette to take on the Purdue Boilermakers” Read at Fox News ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Newsweek treats the game as a quarterback-performance story, built around a former coach's call to bench Underwood, backed by game statistics.
- Emphasis
- Offensive numbers, Michigan's Big Ten record and schedule, and quarterback alternatives.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not give the final score or Minnesota's side of the game, and says little about the size of Underwood's NIL deal.
- Charged language
- “Move Away”
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Fox News's OutKick frames the game as a cautionary tale about NIL spending, in a first-person opinion column, and covers a light sideshow about a celebration kick.
- Emphasis
- Donor money, the roughly $10 million figure, Michigan's decline and Fleck's reaction; humour in the second piece.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives little game detail such as Underwood's statistics, and offers no defence of Michigan's approach.
- Charged language
- “Big money, bigger disaster”“trainwreck”“total mess”“wasted opportunities and wasted money”
What every side reports
- Minnesota beat Michigan on Saturday 3 October.
- The loss was Michigan's second straight in Big Ten play.
- Bryce Underwood is under scrutiny as Michigan's starting quarterback.
- Kyle Whittingham is in his first season as Michigan head coach.
Where accounts differ
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What the result says about Michigan's NIL spending and Underwood's future
- Centre
- Newsweek relays a former coach's view that Michigan should move away from Underwood, perhaps temporarily, for the offense's and the player's development, and notes the pros and cons of benching.
- Right
- Fox News's OutKick column calls the result a 'trainwreck' and 'wasted' NIL money, and says Whittingham may have to cut his losses on Underwood.
Bryce Underwood person
Underwood is portrayed as a struggling sophomore who has not produced. Newsweek's quoted analyst still believes he can be a great player, while Fox says he was forced into 'countless mistakes'.
“I still believe Bryce Underwood can be a great player.” — Newsweek
“forcing Bryce Underwood into countless mistakes” — Fox News
Minnesota Golden Gophers organisation
Minnesota is presented as the beneficiary of a monster performance, with coach PJ Fleck celebrating a signature win.
“thanks to a monster performance from the Gophers” — Fox News
Michigan Wolverines organisation
Michigan is shown as struggling offensively and under pressure, with its coach said to be weighing a quarterback change.
“the coaching staff has thought long and hard about benching the starting quarterback” — Fox News
“the program needs to make a change at quarterback” — Newsweek
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
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Michigan Urged to ‘Move Away’ From QB Bryce Underwood by Former College Coach
Neutral Reports a former coach's call to bench Underwood, with statistics and context on both sides of the decision.
Right2 articles
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Fox NewsR · · Opinion
Critical Opinion column presenting Michigan's loss as proof that NIL money spent on Underwood was wasted.
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Minnesota quarterback gets kicked in the crotch by teammate en route to upset win over Michigan
Mixed Lighthearted account of an accidental celebration kick, with the Minnesota upset as background.
- 3 Oct 21:45 First Fox NewsR Big money, bigger disaster: Minnesota exposes Michigan as Wolverines are latest example of wasted NIL funds Opinion
- 4 Oct 01:45 +4h Fox NewsR Minnesota quarterback gets kicked in the crotch by teammate en route to upset win over Michigan
- 4 Oct 05:01 +7h 17m NewsweekN Michigan Urged to ‘Move Away’ From QB Bryce Underwood by Former College Coach
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.