Tommy Carr kept Michigan’s latest one-possession grind from slipping away.
In a 28-21 win over Rutgers on Saturday, the freshman quarterback delivered the kind of performance that can change the feel of a season, finishing 22 of 27 for 266 yards with a passing touchdown and two rushing scores. His 81% completion rate is now the highest single-game completion percentage by any freshman starting quarterback in Michigan history, according to MGoBlue.com.
Carr did plenty of damage early, too. He threw for 184 yards in the first half of his second start as a Wolverine, the most by a Michigan quarterback in a first half since Bryce Underwood had 185 against Northwestern in 2025.
Michigan built a 14-3 lead, then watched Rutgers fight back and tie the game at 21-21 in the fourth quarter. Carr answered with the go-ahead rushing touchdown, and the defense finished the job to preserve the win.
The offense leaned heavily on Carr, but he had help from the usual top targets. Andrew Marsh finished with seven catches for 51 yards, while JJ Buchanan caught five passes for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Both are in their second season of college football and have now topped 1,000 career receiving yards. Carr also connected with seven other players, and Travis Johnson had a target that he couldn’t bring in.
There were a couple of missed chances downfield, too. Carr had two long throws to Marsh that were underthrown, and if either one had connected, Marsh would have cleared 100 yards easily.
Michigan’s defense had a rougher afternoon than it has most of the year, and it came against one of the weaker opponents on the schedule. The Wolverines were without both starting edge rushers, John Henry Daley and Dom Nichols, and Smith Snowden was beaten a few times and didn’t have his best game.
Even so, the defense has still been closing games out in a big way. Big Ten Network noted that Michigan hasn’t allowed a catch in the second half in back-to-back games. Josh Hoover couldn’t get much going against the Wolverines until overtime, and AJ Surace didn’t complete a pass in the second half this week after finishing with just three completions overall.
Michigan gave up 249 yards and piled up 427 of its own, but the bigger story was survival. The Wolverines allowed some chunk plays and committed penalties that helped Rutgers stay alive, yet still found a way to leave with the win.
At 5-3, Michigan now turns to next weekend’s matchup with Michigan State.
In Other News...
Rutgers Faces Early Michigan Trouble With One Big Question Still Looming
Rutgers walked into Saturdays meeting with Michigan knowing the margin for error was slim, and the first half only sharpened that reality. The game at noon on the Big Ten Network came with the usual pregame injury watch on both sides, but the early action quickly shifted the focus to execution, field position and whether Rutgers could settle in before the Wolverines seized control.
Michigan had already built a 14-3 lead by halftime behind touchdown plays from JJ Buchanan and Jordan Marshall, leaving Rutgers with plenty to clean up after two quarters. The bigger question for the Scarlet Knights now is whether they can find enough offense to make the second half competitive, especially with every update from the sideline carrying added weight in a game that was supposed to be defined by the details. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Let Michigan Hang Around And Paid For It Late
Rutgers had plenty of chances to tilt Saturdays game its way and never quite cashed in, which made the final stretch against Michigan feel especially costly. Missed field goals and a few key defensive stops left the Scarlet Knights in position to seize control, and there were bright spots on both sides of the ball, including a more active defense and a ground game that got real production from Antwan Raymond and Clay Thevenin.
AJ Suraces stat line was uneven, but he did connect on a touchdown strike, and the defense got encouraging work from JJ Conyers and Rondo Porter even as Michigan kept finding ways to stay alive. The frustration for Rutgers is that the effort was there, the game was there, and the result slipped away late, leaving the Scarlet Knights to regroup with Wisconsin coming next and the health of Dylan Lonergan and KJ Duff something worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Has A Third-Down Problem That Just Wont Go Away
Rutgers defense spent too much of Saturday chasing the sticks, and the result was another frustrating loss in a game that was there to be won. Michigan kept extending drives in a 28-21 victory, repeatedly finding answers on third down and putting the Scarlet Knights in long stretches of survival mode instead of control.
Greg Schiano acknowledged afterward that the issue has become a recurring one, even if he did not have an immediate explanation for why it keeps happening. Michigan quarterback Tommy Carr helped turn those extended possessions into points, guiding the decisive drive with his arm and legs as Rutgers was left to wonder how many more chances it can afford to give away in games like this. [Read more 🡒]