Kyle Whittingham did not need much time to form an opinion on Tommy Carr’s first college appearance. The Michigan freshman got a few minutes against UTEP on Saturday, and the head coach came away even more convinced that Carr has a bright future.
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As reported by Michigan insider Brice March, Kyle Whittingham praised Carr in his Monday press conference. The Michigan head coach said that he was really pleased with what he saw and how Carr translated his practice habits to the game.
On the other hand, Bryce Underwood’s start against UTEP was not exactly smooth, either. Within the first five minutes, the sophomore quarterback fumbled on Michigan’s opening drive, giving UTEP a short field that it turned into a 45-yard touchdown and an early lead. It was Underwood’s second lost fumble in three weeks after another ball-security mistake against Western Michigan.
That made Carr’s first appearance later in the game even more interesting, as the freshman had already earned plenty of praise from Michigan’s coaching staff. Carr entered in the fourth quarter and made the most of his limited time. He completed both of his passes for 23 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown to fellow freshman Salesi Moa. He also ran twice for 18 yards.
Now the head coach has spent months watching Carr prepare behind Underwood, and Saturday gave him a chance to see that preparation carry over into an actual game.
“We believe in Tommy,” Whittingham said after Michigan’s 52-17 win. “He’s got a bright future.”
Carr had already earned the backup job during Michigan’s offseason work, holding off Colorado State transfer Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi. And when that opportunity finally came, Carr looked comfortable, with his touchdown and his work on the ground gave Michigan exactly that athleticism which Whittingham had seen in practice.
“He’s a sneaky good runner,” Whittingham said. “He’s faster than he looks and he’s quicker than he looks.” Earlier, the Michigan head coach had called him a “football junkie” and said his ceiling is “exceptionally high.”
At the same time, Carr’s performance should not be mistaken for the start of a quarterback battle. Underwood responded to his early mistake with his best passing performance of the season, completing 19 of 25 attempts for 223 yards and two touchdowns. He also finished the game without another turnover.
So Michigan’s situation is pretty simple being Underwood remains the starter, while Carr has shown that the Wolverines have a young quarterback they can feel good about developing behind him.
That could become useful as Michigan heads into Big Ten play. Carr will likely have to wait for his next opportunity, but he now has real game experience to go with all those practice reps. More importantly, Whittingham has seen his freshman handle that opportunity the way the staff hoped he would.
Tommy Carr is showing why Michigan believes in him
Carr’s debut attracted plenty of attention for another reason. His family has deep ties to Michigan, and the Carr name is already well known around the program as nothing less than royalty.
His paternal grandfather, Lloyd Carr, coached Michigan for 13 seasons and led the Wolverines to the 1997 national championship. His father, Jason Carr, was also a Michigan quarterback, while his older brother CJ Carr is now the starting quarterback at Notre Dame. His maternal grandfather, Tom Curtis, was a Michigan safety and College Football Hall of Fame inductee.
Carr originally committed to Miami (Ohio) before flipping to Michigan, and he quickly made an impression on the new coaching staff. His work during spring and fall camp was enough to earn him the No. 2 job, and Saturday gave him a chance to show why. Thus, for Whittingham, though, Tommy’s own work is what stands out.
There is still a long way to go before anyone can know what Carr will become. Two completed passes and 18 rushing yards are not enough to predict a career. But Michigan now has something it did not have before Saturday: a real game sample to go with, amidst a few struggles around Underwood.