The Michigan Wolverines pulled out a 21-18 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday, but it took a major change at quarterback to get there after head coach Kyle Whittingham benched Bryce Underwood at halftime in favor of freshman Tommy Carr, who helped spark a second-half comeback.
Now, the question is whether the move will stick. After the game, Whittingham said he isn’t ready to decide who will start going forward, leaving Underwood’s future as Michigan’s starter up in the air.
Underwood Benched for Carr
Underwood struggled badly in the first half against Penn State, completing just 5 of 11 passes for 43 yards and two interceptions. He added only 11 rushing yards as the Michigan offense failed to score.
Whittingham made it clear going into the locker room that something had to change.
“First of all we’ve gotta get something going on offense… I don’t have an answer for you right now but we’re gonna talk about it here at halftime and we’ve got to get something going,” Whittingham told CBS’ Jenny Dell, via CBS Sports.
Carr came out for the second half and gave the Wolverines a lift. He finished 5-of-7 for 47 yards, adding 36 rushing yards and a touchdown as Michigan rallied for the win.
To make matters even more memorable, Carr’s grandfather Lloyd Carr, who led Michigan to the 1997 national championship, was watching from the press box.
‘Not prepared to make a decision yet’
When asked whether Carr had earned the starting job, Whittingham wasn’t ready to make any promises.
“Going forward, we will take a good look at the tape… Not prepared to make a decision yet,” Whittingham said, via Trent Knoop.
Whittingham did praise Carr for the way he handled the moment, explaining that the team needed “something to create a spark.”
“He responded very well. He wasn’t perfect. There were some things he obviously needs to get better at it, but he had some key runs for us,” Whittingham said, via On3. “He took care of the football. We had no turnovers in the second half. He did a nice job.”
Needless to say, Underwood’s grip on the starting job is looser than ever. All eyes will be on Michigan’s depth chart heading into next week.
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