Michigan made a quarterback change during its October 17 matchup against Penn State, and the decision immediately sparked questions about Bryce Underwood’s future as the Wolverines’ starter. After Underwood struggled through a scoreless first half, freshman Tommy Carr took over and helped Michigan secure a 21-18 victory.

On the “Brandon Walker College Football Show,” Walker questioned whether Michigan has reached the end of the Underwood experiment after the former five-star recruit was benched.

“Are we officially done with the Bryce Underwood experiment at Michigan?” Walker asked.

Co-host Liam Blutman acknowledged Underwood’s response to being benched, praising the quarterback for supporting Carr from the sidelines.

“All credit in the world to him for being a great teammate and hyping Tommy Carr up, but it didn’t matter if Tommy Carr was throwing the ball well or not. He made some good throws. He really did. What mattered is Michigan’s offense was humming without Underwood in the game,” Blutman said.

Carr did not produce significantly better passing numbers than Underwood. He completed five of seven passes for 47 yards, while Underwood finished the first half with five completions on 11 attempts for 43 yards and two interceptions.

However, Carr added 36 rushing yards and a 12-yard touchdown. Also, Michigan’s offense found greater success running the ball after the break, recording 174 rushing yards in the second half after managing only 37 in the first.

The Wolverines also capitalized on three defensive takeaways, helping them overcome the early deficit and earn the win.

Walker believes the change brought a different energy to the team.

“Michigan’s still not great, but, you know, defense is going to keep them interesting until maybe Tommy Carr, you know, now that if he gets QB1 reps in practice, he gets better and better each week,” Walker added.

Michigan Coach Kyle Whittingham Yet to Make a Final Decision

Despite Carr’s impact, Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham has not committed to making him the permanent starter.

Whittingham explained that the coaching staff would review the game film before deciding how to approach the quarterback position.

“Going forward, we’ll take a good, hard look at the tape and see why things bogged down in the first half and why we were better in the second half. Because there wasn’t a whole lot of scheme change. I’m not prepared to say right now at this desk at this table, what we’re going to do going forward,” Whittingham said.

The coach praised Underwood for remaining supportive after losing his starting role during the game, noting that he helped Carr between series rather than sulking on the sidelines.

“He was out there helping Tommy and talking to him between series. I love Bryce Underwood. It could have gone one of two ways: either you just clam up and put your head down and sulk, or you can be positive. He chose that route. It was great to see. It was great to see how he responded.”

Michigan faces a significant test next Saturday against defending national champion Indiana.