Tommy Carr’s first road start gave Michigan exactly the kind of lift it needed, and the true freshman answered with his most complete outing yet in a 28-21 win over Rutgers.
Carr accounted for three touchdowns and kept the Wolverines moving all afternoon, finishing 22 of 27 for 266 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He added another layer on the ground, rushing 12 times for 54 yards and two scores. For a freshman making just his second career start, that adds up to 320 total yards and a performance that was hard to miss.
What stood out most was how steady he looked. Michigan’s offensive line is still very much a work in progress, but Carr handled the pressure with an 81% completion rate and kept the offense on schedule. After a rough outing against Indiana the week before, this was a clear step in the right direction.
He also spread the ball around. Nine different Wolverines caught passes, with JJ Buchanan leading the group with five receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Andrew Marsh finished with seven catches for 51 yards, and Hogan Hansen added three grabs for 42 yards. Carr also hit Salesi Moa for a 44-yard gain, one of the few explosive plays Michigan generated through the air.
His biggest moments came with his legs. Carr scored on 15-yard and 9-yard runs in the second half, and the second one put Michigan ahead 28-21 with a little more than four minutes left. Those plays showed off the athleticism that makes him such a difficult quarterback to defend as he keeps developing.
The offense as a whole looked more functional, too. Michigan went from 57 rushing yards against Indiana to 161 against Rutgers, with Savion Hiter piling up 76 yards on a career-high 20 carries. Carr’s mobility helped open things up, and the Wolverines converted 12 of 16 third-down chances while finishing with 427 total yards and nearly 36 minutes of possession.
It wasn’t a spotless afternoon. Carr underthrew Marsh twice, Michigan took two sacks, committed seven penalties for 90 yards and left some chances on the table before needing a late defensive stand to seal it.
Still, Carr looked more comfortable, more decisive and more confident running Jason Beck’s offense. He protected the ball, kept drives alive and gave Michigan a real spark at quarterback. There’s more for him to learn, and tougher defenses are coming, but this was the strongest sign yet that the Wolverines may have something special brewing under center.
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Oregon Michigan Broadcast Choice Says A Lot About Where Both Teams Stand
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Oregon arrives with the same 5-3 record, which makes the broadcast assignment feel like a fitting snapshot of both programs right now. Neither side is in the national-title conversation, but there is still enough name value and enough at stake to make the meeting matter, especially for Michigan as it tries to steady a difficult season and keep its postseason path alive. [Read more 🡒]