Tommy Carr Leads Off List of Winners, Losers as Michigan Knocks off Rutgers Late

It wasn’t pretty, but the Michigan Wolverines are back in the winner’s circle after losing last week to Indiana. The final score may not show how much better Michigan played than Rutgers on Saturday, but mistakes, missed field goals, big plays allowed, and penalties kept Rutgers in a game that Michigan realistically should have won by multiple scores.

They did not, and that means this win likely does little to alter the big picture for these Michigan Wolverines. We’ll get to that in just a little bit.

One positive? Michigan may have found itself a quarterback. Tommy Carr was the shining star on Saturday afternoon. Michigan’s ground game was supposed to have a get-right opportunity against Rutgers’ defense, but they struggled for most of the day in the traditional run game.

More on Carr, and the rest of our winners and losers from Michigan’s 28-21 victory on the road.

Winner QB Tommy Carr

Tommy Carr was fighting the flu according to Michigan’s radio broadcast for his second career start. The Wolverines and the rest of America could have been fooled. Carr was Michigan’s savior on Saturday. He completed 22 of his 27 passes for one touchdown pass. He added 54 yards on the ground and two touchdowns, including the game-winner with a little more than four minutes remaining.

Could Michigan have won this game with Bryce Underwood starting? Sure. Does some of the shine from this get adjusted because of who the opponent was? Absolutely.

ANOTHER TOMMY CARR RUSHING TOUCHDOWN! @UMichFootball pic.twitter.com/MKWqevvL19
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 31, 2026

The reality also is that Michigan’s offense has not looked this good since the end of September. Quarterback play was not the only reason why, but it certainly didn’t help.

Carr has certainly earned another start, and it’s hard to envision him giving up the starter’s role between now and the end of the season.

His next test? Next week in a rivalry game against a Michigan State team who will be looking for a galvanizing moment for the first season under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald.

Winner WR JJ Buchanan

A 50-50 ball for JJ Buchanan might as well be 75-25. Buchanan opened the scoring Saturday with a touchdown catch on a fade in the red zone.

If you were wondering where that was last week as Michigan fumbled all over itself in the red zone, you were not alone, but I digress.

The Wolverines’ passing game is severely limited, and Buchanan is really the only thing they can count on week-to-week. He finished the day as the team’s leading receiver with 63 yards on five catches. That included a 30-yard contested catch where he was interfered with.

They’ll need more plays like that as the degree of difficutly on the schedule ramps up from here.

Winner Young Playmakers

Michigan has been desperately searching for someone to step up alongside JJ Buchanan and Andrew Marsh in their passing game. Saturday, they got some glimpses from some younger players who have been itching for opportunity.

Mason Bonner, who has been a bit of a forgotten man early in the year made an explosive play in the middle of the field, and was in the game on some key downs late. The coaching staff appears to be trusting him more, which could give the Wolverines’ tight end room a boost alongside Hogan Hansen.

Salesi Moa was tagged with a holding penalty during the game, but did make a catch that resulted in 44 yards and set up Michigan’s first touchdown of the game. That’s no small thing either as the Wolverines need some explosiveness added to their passing game. If Moa can continue to make plays like that, the coaching staff should keep trying to find ways to get the ball into his hands.

Winner RB Savion Hiter

It wasn’t always pretty, but Savion Hiter grinded out some tough yards for Michigan’s offense on a day where there was not much room to roam on the ground. Hiter is the winner here because he either took the status of the team’s bell cow, or Marshall is injured and Hiter will be the starting running back as a result of that.

Oct 31, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Savion Hiter (5) runs with the ball during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Either way, there is some explosion in Hiter’s game. He’s often one move away from breaking a big run. If the Wolverines can get him to break a tackle, or make a play in space, he could be a dynamic weapon in some of the games set to come on their schedule in November.

Loser The Big Picture

Let’s rewind back to 2014. The Michigan Wolverines lost to Rutgers in the first meeting between the two teams. That was one of the big flashing red lights that said it was time to move on from Brady Hoke.

Michigan was a double-digit favorite going into Rutgers and still had to make a big play in the fourth quarter to knock them off. Yes, Michigan is 5-3, but it’s a very fraudulent 5-3.

They were one play away from losing to Western Michigan at home. They blew a game against Iowa they should have won. Their offense was dreadful against Minnesota. They lost last week against Indiana in a game they could not score a single touchdown.

Michigan’s team is mistake ridden, undisciplined, and unable to correct significant issues that have plagued them all season.

What does that mean for 2026? It likely means this team’s ceiling is winning next week against Michigan State for bowl eligibility and little else to follow.

Beyond this season? There are significant questions as to whether Whittingham and his staff can correct these issues. There’s plenty of talent on this roster. They have not gotten better.

It’s up to everyone in the building to answer why that is.

Loser RB Jordan Marshall

Five carries. Zero yards. That was the final stat line for Michigan’s running back who consistently looks like he is fighting through some type of injury.

This award could go to the entire run game outside of Hiter, because Michigan really did not have the day on the ground that was envisioned when Rutgers’ defense was coming to town.

Oct 31, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Jordan Marshall (23) scores a rushing touchdown during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Michigan’s offense never looked like they were in rhythm when they weren’t putting the ball in Tommy Carr’s hands. They’re not good enough in the passing game to be one-dimensional. Marshall is the leader of this group.

As admirable as it is to play through pain, if he’s hurt, he needs to sit. It appeared that was the case in the second half, so that could be something worth monitoring next week.

Loser K Trey Butkowski

Michigan’s kicking situation is in significant trouble. Last week, the Wolverines were snake bit on field goal opportunities. Butkowski finished the game 2-4 in a game they lost by six.

Saturday, Butkowski missed a 48-yard field goal on a play in the first half where it looked like the entire operation was off.

Ok, maybe that is a little outside of his range. That’s a little archaic for the modern age of college football, but it’s at least forgivable.

For the first time in a long time, Michigan has a very legitimate problem at kicker. Trey Butkowski yanks a 35-yarder wide left, his fourth miss in the past seven quarters. pic.twitter.com/VNXzl7CCW8
— Tony Garcia | Detroit Free Press (@RealTonyGarcia) October 31, 2026

Butkowski’s second miss of the day is not forgivable. It was a chip shot, and he immediately started stomping on the field, knowing immediately that he’d missed it.

Butkowski was a decorated kicker before committing to Michigan, but he’s been a disaster the last two weeks. If it’s the operation, Michigan needs to fix it. If Butkowski has the yips, he needs to figure it out. Rutgers is the last cupcake on the schedule with Michigan State being the rivalry game.

Michigan is not good enough to leave points on the field. They need to figure out how to start putting the ball through the uprights.

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