After consecutive losses and a dismal first half against Penn State, Michigan finally made the quarterback change many fans had been calling for. Head coach Kyle Whittingham benched sophomore Bryce Underwood at halftime, turning to true freshman Tommy Carr to spark a struggling offense. Underwood completed just 5 of 11 passes for 43 yards and threw two costly interceptions in the first half as the Wolverines clung to a 3-0 lead.
Michigan managed just 80 total yards, including 37 on the ground, before the break. Carr wasted little time making an impact once he took over the QB reins. After Michigan was forced to punt on its first drive of the third quarter, Carr led the Wolverines to back-to-back touchdown drives as they took a 14-3 lead in the third quarter.
Whittingham, in his first season leading the Wolverines, had publicly voiced his support for Underwood in the opening weeks of the season, but acknowledged something had to change if his performance did not improve. The move came after weeks of mounting pressure on Underwood, whose turnover troubles had become a growing concern for Whittingham. Ahead of the Penn State matchup, the first-year Michigan coach made clear that the quarterback's struggles couldn't continue.
"If we don’t get this turnover thing fixed rapidly, then something’s got to give," Whittingham said leading up to the Penn State matchup. Underwood's starting job had been under scrutiny since Michigan's controversial season-opening win over Western Michigan. The pressure grew after a 20-14 loss to Minnesota on Oct.
3, when he threw for 101 yards and two interceptions. Underwood arrived in Ann Arbor as the nation's No. 1 recruit after flipping his commitment from LSU in a recruitment that included a massive NIL package.
As a freshman, he threw 11 touchdown passes and nine interceptions, and his turnover troubles continued into his sophomore season. Carr, meanwhile, comes from one of Michigan's most recognizable football families. His grandfather, Lloyd Carr, led the Wolverines to the 1997 national championship.
His father, Jason Carr, was a walk-on quarterback at Michigan, while his older brother, CJ Carr, is the starting quarterback at Notre Dame. An early enrollee from Saline High School in Michigan, Carr made his college debut on Sept. 19 against UTEP.
His performance against Penn State could give Whittingham a difficult decision to make heading into Michigan's next game.
