Michigan is handing the keys over to Carr.
One day after the Wolverines remained cagey over who would start at quarterback against Indiana this weekend, ON3 reported Tuesday that Tommy Carr will get the nod and Bryce Underwood — the incumbent — will be the backup.
Carr, who had made one brief appearance against UTEP in September, took over the reins from Underwood mid-game against Penn State on Saturday. He went 5-for-7 passing for 47 yards while rushing four times for 36 yards and a touchdown in a 21-18 win over a Big Ten rival.
Saturday will be the first career NCAA start for the freshman, who is the grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr.
Head coach Kyle Whittingham, however, kept things close to the vest on Monday when discussing his signal caller plans for Saturday’s home game against No. 6 Indiana.
“We know exactly what we’re doing and the plan going forward,” Whittingham said. “We’re not going to tip our hand to the opponent. But we have a good plan in place.”
“Saw good stuff out of what Tommy did in that second half,” the coach added. “He’s a real smooth guy, very efficient with his style.”
Underwood, once recognized as the No. 1 overall recruit for the 2025 class on 247Sports, has not taken a leap forward in his second year in Ann Arbor. The $12 million QB completed 58.1 percent of his passes (as compared to 60.3 percent as a freshman) and has five touchdowns to six interceptions as Michigan holds a 4-2 record.
He had completed 5 of 11 passes for just 43 yards with two interceptions before Carr relieved him against the Nittany Lions.
Jason Beck, during an appearance on “Inside Michigan Football,” explained why turnovers brought about the switch.
“It was just one of those things: the turnover margin is such an important part of winning football games, and we’ve been on the wrong side of that early in the season, and we were on the wrong side of it in that first half,” Beck said. “That’s what spurred the need to make a change for that second half. Fortunately, our D was able to get three takeaways, so we ended up coming out ahead on that turnover margin. But you don’t want to be counting on getting three takeaways to come out plus-one.
“We need to protect the football … to give our team the best chance to win.”
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