Tommy Carr had the expected ups and downs in his first start for Michigan football.
But on one play in particular, through no fault of his own, he really didn't have any kind of chance to succeed.
On third-and-goal from the 1-yard line, after a 14-play drive that took just over eight minutes off the clock, Carr ran a play-action boot. The problem? No one on Indiana bit. Tobi Osunsanmi was waiting for Carr on the boundary, and he blew the play up for a 13-yard loss.
REQUIRED READING: Tommy Carr can’t fix Michigan football’s biggest problem after Indiana loss
Inexcusable. Michigan has the ball third-and-goal inside the 1, tries to get cute with a play-action boot and Tommy Carr is dropped for a 13 yard loss.
— Tony Garcia | Detroit Free Press (@RealTonyGarcia) October 24, 2026
Then Trey Butkowski missed the field goal wide left. A disaster class in every regard. pic.twitter.com/QflLg6rVA5
Adding insult to injury, Trey Butkowski missed a field goal for the second time in the game, hooking it well left to leave Michigan empty-handed after a promising opening drive.
After the game, Kyle Whittingham singled the play out as one he'd like to have back.
"That was not a good call," he told reporters after the game. "It's a call that [offensive coordinator Jason Beck] wishes he had back, because it was really damaging. Everything falls on my shoulders."
Beck, who has seen a great deal of criticism in his first season in Ann Arbor, also got some harsh marks past the midway point from Whittingham postgame.
"We've got to get better," he said. "There's no doubt about it. It's a long season. I have always judged the season as a whole, I don't judge it in segments. The season as a whole, he'd be the first to tell you: not good enough."
Michigan has been unable to find answers on offense, with what turned out to be a very winnable game vs. Indiana serving as the latest example. The Wolverines were unable to find the end zone against the Hoosiers despite an outstanding defensive performance, and now have their hopes of playing in the playoffs effectively dashed — if they weren't already.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kyle Whittingham critical of blown-up Michigan goal-line play: 'Not a good football call'