Tommy Carr sparks Michigan comeback, but Whittingham won't name him starter yet

Kyle Whittingham made the call Michigan fans had been demanding for weeks. Down 3-0 at halftime, with Bryce Underwood having thrown two interceptions and completed just five passes for 43 yards, Whittingham sent true freshman Tommy Carr out to open the second half against Penn State. By the final whistle, the Wolverines had won 21-18, Carr had scored his first career touchdown, and the question of who starts next week was suddenly very much open.

Carr's debut as a starter was far from smooth — his first drive was a three-and-out — but Penn State handed him a lifeline when Rocco Becht threw an interception on the very next play, giving Michigan the ball just past midfield. Carr handed off to Bryson Kuzdzal, who broke loose for a 43-yard touchdown run to put the Wolverines on the board for the first time.

Later in the third quarter, Carr took matters into his own hands, rushing up to the Penn State 1-yard line on a run initially ruled a touchdown before being reviewed and marked short. Running back Jordan Marshall punched it in a couple of plays later. Then, with five minutes left in regulation and Penn State threatening, Becht fumbled while scrambling — a strip sack — and Michigan recovered. Carr needed only a few plays to score his first career touchdown on a 12-yard run, pushing the lead to 21-11.

Penn State scored a late touchdown and converted a two-point conversion to pull within three, but an attempted onside kick was recovered by Michigan to seal the win. The Wolverines' defense also contributed three second-half turnovers, including an interception by Rod Moore Jr. and a forced fumble by Chris Bracy, according to Maizen Brew.

Carr finished 5-of-7 passing for 47 yards — all in the second half — and added 37 rushing yards with his touchdown. PFF graded him at 72.0 overall across 31 snaps, including a 70.4 rushing grade and a 62.3 passing grade, according to Maizen Brew. That placed him third among Michigan's highest-graded offensive players on the day, behind linemen Manuel Beigel (82.2) and Hogan Hansen (79.7). Kuzdzal, who played just four snaps, earned the team's top offensive grade at 90.7.

Underwood, by contrast, earned a 60.5 PFF grade across 24 snaps. His first half included five completions on 11 attempts for 43 yards, two interceptions, and three other possessions that ended in punts, according to Sporting News.

The conversation was handled by Jason Beck, who's the QB coach and coordinator. Bryce couldn't have handled it any better. He was supporting Tommy and helping him between series. I love Bryce Underwood. He's a…— Kyle Whittingham, Michigan head coach

Whittingham stopped short of naming Carr the starter going forward, saying he needs to review film and evaluate what improved in the second half, according to Sporting News.

This marks the first time Underwood has been benched this season, though Whittingham had previously suggested it was a possibility. Carr, a former four-star prospect from the class of 2026, had appeared in only one game prior to Saturday — a 52-17 blowout of UTEP — completing both passes he attempted for 23 yards and a touchdown. He is the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, who was in the stands Saturday, and the younger brother of Notre Dame starting quarterback CJ Carr, a Heisman Trophy candidate, according to CBS Sports.

Earlier in the week, offensive coordinator Jason Beck had defended Underwood publicly.

Nothing's ever good enough, let alone when it's not going great, right? You always want to play better. There are always things to improve, there are always things to do better. The thing I'll say with Bryce is he cares, and he works hard. It matters to him, and he's feeling that outside noise and all that as much as anybody. He's really handling that well with his approach and the teammate he is, so we're always working to get better and improve.— Jason Beck, Michigan offensive coordinator

The win improves Michigan to 4-2 overall and earns the Wolverines their first Big Ten victory of the season after consecutive losses to Iowa and Minnesota. Penn State falls to 3-4 and faces Purdue after a bye week. Michigan hosts defending champion Indiana next Saturday.

Why it matters — With Michigan's starting quarterback job now genuinely in question for the first time this season, the Wolverines face a consequential decision heading into a game against defending champion Indiana — and a true freshman's 30-minute audition may have changed the program's direction.

Reported by yahoo.com, foxnews.com, cbssports.com, maizenbrew.com, usatoday.com, sportingnews.com