Michigan looked every bit like a team still searching for answers in the first half against Penn State, and then Tommy Carr walked in and changed the temperature of the whole game.
The true freshman quarterback replaced Bryce Underwood after a rough opening stretch, and Michigan’s offense finally found some life in the second half. The Wolverines beat Penn State, 21-18, to improve to 4-2, with Carr finishing the job in dramatic fashion by turning a late defensive takeaway into a 12-yard touchdown run.
That finish mattered because the rest of the night had plenty of drag on it. Michigan had two weeks to get ready for a Penn State team that had lost three straight, but the Wolverines came out flat and managed only 80 yards of offense before halftime.
Underwood threw two interceptions, including one on an underthrow to Andrew Marsh that ricocheted off Marsh’s chest and into a Penn State defender’s hands. The other was a one-handed grab by the Nittany Lions.
Once Carr entered, the offense finally had a pulse. Michigan’s first drive with him ended in a first down and then a punt, but the next two possessions both produced rushing touchdowns.
The offense still wasn’t smooth until late, but Carr gave it the spark it had been missing. He looked composed throughout the second half, and based on how things played out, it would be a surprise if he doesn’t start next week against Indiana.
Michigan spent the week talking about cleaning things up offensively, including the Rhino look that Jason Beck said would stay in the mix. Beck called it the team’s most productive personnel grouping, though that hasn’t really matched the results much this season.
With Underwood at quarterback, Michigan’s rushing game produced just 37 yards. Nothing the Wolverines tried on the ground seemed to work.
Carr changed that, too. Beck leaned into counters and dives between the tackles, and the results followed.
Bryson Kuzdzal broke loose for a 43-yard run, Savion Hiter ripped off a 41-yard scamper, and Jordan Marshall added an 11-yard carry. Michigan finished with 211 rushing yards, its most in a game this season.
The defense did plenty of heavy lifting as well, though it wasn’t as clean a performance as the numbers might suggest. Michigan entered the week with the No. 3 ranked defense in the nation, but Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht threw for 267 yards and the Wolverines had to survive some real pressure points.
Rod Moore opened with an interception on a diving play, though he was injured on the return. Chris Bracy also picked off Becht, and later, in a crucial fourth-quarter sequence, Bracy forced a strip in the red zone that Michigan recovered. That takeaway set up Carr’s game-sealing touchdown.
Penn State wideout Chase Sowell was the biggest problem Michigan faced. He caught 11 passes for 151 yards and a score, and Jyaire Hill spent much of the day matched up with him while struggling to contain him.
Smith Snowden also had trouble when he drew Sowell. Still, the Wolverine defense kept answering when it had to, even as the offense sputtered early and Penn State had chances to take control.
Underwood’s night only adds to the question around Michigan’s quarterback situation. He arrived with huge expectations after being flipped from LSU during Sherrone Moore’s first season, but the growing pains have been real.
He was pushed into the starting role as a true freshman, and the inconsistency has followed. He has flashed, including what was arguably his best game in the loss to Iowa, but the turnovers keep piling up and he has too often locked onto targets.
Underwood now has six interceptions to five passing touchdowns this season. Whether he needed a reset from the sideline is fair to wonder. What’s harder to ignore is that Carr gave Michigan something it didn’t have before, and if he keeps playing like that, taking him off the field would be a tough move.
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