The first half of Michigan's home game against Penn State was forgettable from the Wolverines' perspective. Offense was just a fleeting thought for both teams, and the Nittany Lions were able to leave the field with a 3-0 lead.
Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham was perplexed by his team's inability to mount any kind of significant drive. He did not single out quarterback Bryce Underwood when he was interviewed at halftime by CBS, but his analysis of his quarterback's performance was obvious when he benched his starter in the second half.
He inserted backup Tommy Carr into the lineup and the Wolverines responded. Michigan was able to play much more consistently on the offensive side of the ball under the leadership of Carr. The Wolverines emerged with a 21-18 victory.
Carr is the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, who coached Michigan from 1995 through 2007. He had a 122-40 career record with the Wolverine and he led them to 13 bowl games in his career. His 1997 team recorded a 12-0 record and shared the national championship with Nebraska.
When Tommy Carr was interviewed after the game, he said he was fully prepared to go into the game and his teammates had his back. He said he had prepared for the moment “since Day 1.”
He also said that he was looking forward to seeing his grandfather, who had observed the game from the press box at Michigan Stadium.
Carr completed 5 of 7 passes for 47 yards and also ran 4 times for 36 yards and a touchdown. Michigan RB Savion Hiter led the Wolverines 78 yards on 11 carries.