ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- It was a tale of two halves and a tale of two quarterbacks -- for one team.
Both Michigan football and Penn State needed a win in the worst way, and the first half proved to be all Nittany Lions. Embattled quarterback Bryce Underwood had two interceptions and went into the locker room at halftime down 3-0.
However, in the second half, the Wolverines made a quarterback change, going to legacy freshman Tommy Carr, and the maize and blue offense appeared to come alive with the first-year signal-caller at the helm. Carr was 5-for-7 for just 47 yards through the air, but it wasn't his throwing that made the difference. Carr was more adept using his legs, with four carries for 36 yards and a touchdown (Underwood had three carries for 11 yards, and was 5-for-11 passing for 43 yards), and the offensive playcalling appeared poised to put him in a position to succeed.
The second half saw much more north-south running, and Michigan had 174 of its 211 rushing yards in the final 30 minutes. Most importantly, Carr took care of the football, unlike Underwood, and with the defense managing three second-half takeaways, the Wolverines managed to hold on to win, 21-18.
Speaking of the defense, safety Chris Bracy was electric, managing an interception, a forced fumble, a sack, and pass breakup. Defensive tackle Enow Etta was able to corral the fumble to give Michigan a short field. Safety Rod Moore, who left the game with an injury on the play, also got an interception. After the game, head coach Kyle Whittingham said that he isn't expected to be out long term.
With the win, Michigan improves to 4-2 on the season and will welcome in 5-1 Indiana to Ann Arbor next week for a noon kick on Fox at The Big House.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Tommy Carr sparks Michigan comeback win over Penn State, 21-18