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The Wolverines sat starter Bryce Underwood at halftime during Saturday’s 21-18 win against the Nittany Lions, turning to backup quarterback Tommy Carr.
In need of some momentum, head coach Kyle Whittingham sat his $12 million sophomore for the grandson of legendary Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and younger brother of Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr.
The move paid dividends as Carr put the game away with a 12-yard touchdown run to secure Michigan’s first Big 10 win of Kyle Whittingham’s tenure.
“He was very prepared for when his number was called,” Whittingham said, “and he responded very well.”
Tommy Carr orchestrated three touchdown drives in the second half, finishing his second career appearance 5 of 7 passing for 47 yards and 38 yards on the ground with a score.
Underwood had another challenging afternoon against Penn State, completing 5 of 11 passes for 43 yards, rushing for 11 yards and throwing two interceptions in a scoreless first half. The second turnover ended a possible scoring drive that reached Penn State’s 36-yard line in the final minute of the second quarter.
Underwood, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class, has had an inconsistent start through his first six games under Whittingham and new offensive coordinator Jason Beck. In his sophomore campaign, he has thrown for 924 yards while completing 58 percent of his passes, and recorded seven total touchdowns and eight turnovers. Many wondered if his $12 million NIL deal was keeping him under center despite his struggles.
For next week’s matchup, Whittingham said his coaching staff will decide by Monday who will get the starting nod between Underwood and Carr, though its possible the team won’t “tip our hand,” Whittingham said, ahead of facing reigning national champion Indiana.
“We will have a great idea when we all know exactly what the plan is on Monday,” Whittingham said. “How much of that we’ll let out of the bag, we’ll see.”
With the Wolverines trailing 3-0 at halftime, Whittingham made a change. Carr, a former three-star recruit, got the chance to shine, with his grandfather watching from a suite inside “The Big House.”
“Coach came up to me and said it was my time,” Carr said. “I’ve prepared for this since Day 1, so I was ready, and my teammates had my back. We played a great second half and got the job done.”
Michigan avoided its first 0-3 start in Big Ten play since 1967 with the home victory. The Wolverines face another major challenge next week against an Indiana team whose 22-game winning streak was snapped by Ohio State on Saturday.