Michigan Turns to True Freshman at Halftime in Loss to Penn State

Michigan made a change at quarterback during its game against Penn State on Saturday. Bryce Underwood was removed at halftime after completing 5 of 11 passes for 43 yards and rushing for 11 yards. He threw two interceptions, with the second one stopping a drive that had reached the Penn State 36-yard line in the final minute of the second quarter.

Freshman Steps In

True freshman Tommy Carr replaced Underwood. Carr is the grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and the younger brother of Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr. A former three-star recruit, he had appeared in just one game entering the matchup.

Underwood's Season to Date

Underwood entered the day as the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 SC Next 300 and the highest-rated offensive signee in program history after flipping his commitment from LSU to Michigan in November 2024. Through six games this season he has thrown for 924 yards on 58 percent passing with seven total touchdowns and eight turnovers. Michigan opened Big Ten play with consecutive losses to Iowa and Minnesota, dropping to 3-2 before the bye week. Coach Whittingham had indicated he would stick with Underwood coming out of the break. As a freshman in 2025, Underwood started all 13 games, passing for 2,428 yards and rushing for 392 yards while accounting for 17 total touchdowns and 11 turnovers in a 9-4 season that ended with a No. 21 ranking in the AP Top 25.