Bryce Underwood Benched vs. Penn State, Tommy Carr Takes Over

Michigan finally made a move under center, benching the struggling Bryce Underwood for freshman Tommy Carr.

Michigan Wolverines quarterback Tommy Carr (14) receives the ball in the fourth quarter of a game against UTEP at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Michigan Wolverines offense does not appear to have made sufficient progress during the team's bye week. During the first half of Saturday's tilt with the visiting Penn State Nittany Lions, Bryce Underwood-led unit managed just 80 total yards on 23 plays and produced zero points. Underwood's turnover woes continued, with the quarterback throwing two interceptions.

The season-long issues at quarterback have finally resulted in a change under center. Freshman Tommy Carr has taken over at quarterback, at least for the second half of Saturday's game.

Frustration with Underwood mounts for Michigan's coaching staff

Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham reacts to 20-19 loss to Iowa at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham hinted at the change moments after the second quarter ended.

"Well, first of all, we got something going on offense," Whittingham said to CBS Sports sideline reporter Jenny Dell. "We've got absolutely nothing going. We're not running the ball well. The only team not running the ball as well as us is them. So, neither team can run the football. But two turnovers. I don't have an answer for you right now. We're going to talk about it here at halftime.

"We got to get something going."

Underwood's performance so far in 2026

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) practices next to quarterback Tommy Carr (14) at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor ahead of the game between Michigan and Oklahoma on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

To this point in 2026, Underwood has vastly underperformed expectations. The reportedly expensive former five-star recruit entered Saturday with a sub-60% completion rate, 881 passing yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions. Even with a bye week to prepare for Penn State, Underwood's struggles continued on Saturday. At halftime, he had completed just five of his 11 passes for 43 yards, no touchdowns, and the aforementioned two picks.

The lack of a passing game allowed Penn State to focus on stopping the Wolverines' ground attack. In the first half, running back Jordan Marshall led the offense with just 25 rushing yards on six carries, and the team as a whole managed just 37 yards on the ground.

All of which underscores the season-long issues for the offense. The Wolverines entered the weekend with the 68th-ranked offensive attack in the nation, according to ESPN's SP+ metric. For additional context, only one of their remaining 2026 opponents entered Saturday with an offense ranked worse by that metric: the Michigan State Spartans (No. 73). Considering the level of resources poured into those two programs, Michigan could not continue to accept such substandard results.

As for Carr, he has seen little action so far in his college career. He appeared in garbage time against the UTEP Miners on Sept. 19. Carr finished that game with two passes for 23 yards and a touchdown, as well as 18 yards on the ground.

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