Carr’s Strong Rutgers Start Backs Whittingham’s Choice

As of November 2, 2026, Tommy Carr’s second career start had given Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham a clearer answer at quarterback. Carr produced a much stronger performance against Rutgers after a difficult first start against Indiana the previous week.

Against Indiana, Carr completed 20 of 32 passes for 167 yards, threw an interception and lost a fumble, and did not score a touchdown. Michigan’s offense managed six points in the loss. Indiana’s defense was described as one of the country’s strongest.

Whittingham had not committed to a starter after that defeat. Carr had taken over after Bryce Underwood was benched during the second half against Penn State, and Whittingham could have returned to Underwood for the Rutgers game. He instead kept Carr in the starting role.

Carr completed 22 of 27 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown against Rutgers. He also ran for 54 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with more than 300 yards of total offense and no turnovers. Michigan’s offense looked substantially better than it had against Indiana.

The Rutgers defense was characterized as far weaker than Indiana’s, so Carr will face tougher tests in the weeks ahead. Still, the performance supports keeping him as Michigan’s starter through the rest of the 2026 season. Whether he will remain the team’s quarterback in 2027 is an open question.