Michigan’s first half against Rutgers looked nothing like the version of the Wolverines fans have been seeing most of the season. The defense, usually the steady hand, had some rough patches. The offense, meanwhile, was the group carrying the load.
Tommy Carr was right in the middle of it all. According to Michigan’s radio broadcast, he entered the game dealing with flu symptoms, but that didn’t show up in his play. He helped drive Michigan’s first two touchdown marches and kept the offense on schedule when Rutgers started to bring heat.
Through the first three series, Carr went 10-for-12 for 165 yards and a touchdown to JJ Buchanan on Michigan’s opening drive. He stayed composed under pressure from Rutgers’ defensive front and kept finding answers downfield. Michigan needed a confidence-building start for its quarterback, and it got one.
Buchanan was the first player to put points on the board, and he continued to look like Carr’s most dependable target early in the season. The source of Michigan’s passing game has been clear so far: Buchanan gives Carr a big-bodied receiver who can win the kind of ball that tilts heavily in his favor.
Andrew Marsh also got involved early, with Michigan making a point to use him in the run-pass option game. He caught the first pass of the game and finished the first half with six receptions for 47 yards. His ability to do damage after the catch gives the Wolverines another weapon they can’t afford to ignore.
Michigan also got meaningful production from some younger pass catchers. Salesi Moa turned a short catch into a 44-yard gain on the opening touchdown drive after breaking a tackle and pushing the Wolverines into the red zone.
Mason Bonner added another spark in the middle of the field with a 27-yard reception on his first catch. Travis Johnson nearly made the list too, but a third-down drop in the second quarter kept that from becoming a trio of huge freshman conversions.
That kind of help matters because Michigan needs more than Buchanan and Marsh to keep the passing game moving. The Wolverines are going to need multiple receivers to step up as the season goes on.
The game changed when Rutgers finally found a big one. Michigan had AJ Suarce looking trapped in the pocket, but Troy Bowles couldn’t finish the sack.
Suarce escaped, launched the ball deep, and found Jourdin Houston for an 80-yard touchdown. Smith Snowden, who has mostly been strong this season, had a rough sequence on the play.
He was in coverage, got caught flat-footed, and fell down as Houston ran past him for the score.
What had looked like a comfortable Michigan lead suddenly became a much tighter game.
There was also another problem Michigan couldn’t afford: the kicking game. The Wolverines have already been burned by missed field goals, and Butkowski’s 48-yard miss on Saturday only added to the concern. The operation looked off on the play, and Michigan is in no position to keep giving points away.
Last week, Butkowski went 2-for-4 in a game Michigan lost by six. That kind of waste has already cost the Wolverines once, and they can’t keep leaving points sitting there.
In Other News...
Bryce Underwood Could Force A Tough Michigan Decision Soon
Bryce Underwoods path at Michigan has already taken an unexpected turn, with the former five-star quarterback recruit getting benched in favor of Tommy Carr after struggling against Penn State. For a program that has spent so much time building around quarterback stability, the situation has quickly become one of the more intriguing personnel questions on the roster, especially with Underwood still carrying the kind of athletic profile that can tempt a staff to find another way to use him.
Michigan has not made any official decision about a position change, and no approach has been set in stone, but the idea is clearly on the table as the Wolverines sort through their quarterback situation. Underwoods future role now feels like one of those early-season decisions that can shape more than just depth-chart order, because if the staff decides his best path is somewhere other than quarterback, it would say plenty about where things stand behind center. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Escaped Rutgers But The Real Frustrations Arent Going Away
Michigan got what it needed against Rutgers, but not in the cleanest way. The Wolverines squeezed out a 28-21 win after letting a late-game lead slip away long enough to make things uncomfortable, even with Tommy Carr turning in a strong night through the air and on the ground. His 266 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns gave Michigan enough punch to survive, but the overall feel of the game was less about control than escape.
For a program that still has bigger ambitions in the 2026 season, the concerns did not disappear with the final whistle. The defense had stretches where Rutgers found room to answer, including the fourth-quarter tie that briefly changed the tone of the night, and the offense again left questions about consistency and coaching direction. A win is a win, but this one did little to quiet the frustration around how Michigan is being put together week to week. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Fans Still Have One Big Question About This Team
Michigans football profile has drawn a mixed bag of reaction lately, with praise from some corners and sharp criticism from others. Utah State coach Bronco Mendenhall singled out offensive coordinator Jason Beck for the work being done on that side of the ball, while former Michigan players and analysts have pushed back on Kyle Whittinghams coaching style and the way he has handled his public comments.
Greg Schiano added another layer to the conversation by calling Michigans defense elite and pointing to several of its key players as the reason for that reputation. For fans, the contrast is what makes the bigger question linger: if the defense is playing at that level and the offense is drawing positive notice, why does the overall picture around the program still feel so unsettled? [Read more 🡒]