Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia grades Michigan football after the Wolverines' 21-18 win over Penn State on Saturday, Oct. 17, in Week 7 of the 2026 college football season at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
Offense: C
The first half was an abject failure, but the offense found a rhythm once the staff swapped in Tommy Carr for Bryce Underwood at quarterback. U-M hadn't scored 20 points in a game against a Power Four team, then needed just one half to do so after Carr came in.
To be fair, only one of the Wolverines' three drives was more than 43 yards − the defense set up U-M in prime position twice − but give Carr and Co. credit for finishing with seven points each time. The freshman from Saline went 5-for-7 for 43 yards and ran four times for 36 yards,
including the winning 12-yard touchdown on third-and-9 with about three minutes to play.
"We got a seven down look, it was third down, so we checked to the speed option," Carr said. "I just pump the guy and got up inside and put my head down, tried to get in the end zone ... it was great to be out there with my teammates and really experience the college gameday experience."
Carr was part of a rushing attack that finally got going. Michigan didn't have a run of more than 17 yards by a running ack all season, then got two on Saturday.
First, a 43-yard touchdown run by Bryson Kuzdzal to get Michigan on the board in the third quarter. Then, a 41-yarder by Savion Hiter to get the Wolverines out of the shadow of their own end zone.
Add it all up and Michigan ran 35 times for 211 yards (averaging 6 yards per carry) and three touchdowns, far and away the best output of the season.
It should be mentioned Penn State allowed twice as many ground yards to Northwestern, but this was a needed step for Michigan. The pass game still needs to improve, as Underwood and Carr combined to go 10-for-18 for 90 yards and two picks.
Defense: B+
The defense forced three turnovers in the second half, each of which directly led to Michigan's three offensive scoring drives.
First, it was Rod Moore reading Rocco Becht's eyes on a an out-and-up to make a diving grab on the sideline. Next, it was Chris Bracy, who sat in the zone and grabbed a floating pass Becht threw from the right hash to the left sideline, seemingly never seeing the safety. Then there was the play of the game, when Bracy came on a blitz from the weak side in the fourth quarter and stripped Becht, with Enow Etta recovering the ball to set the offense up at the Penn State 13 when the score was 14-11 with just more than five minutes to play.
There were some holes in pass coverage − Chase Sowell certainly had a day with 11 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown − but the Wolverines were stout against the run, holding an admittedly struggling Penn State ground attack to 30 rushes for 65 yards and just one TD.
Although Penn State was just 4-of-12 on third down, the Nittany Lions possessed the ball for more than 32 minutes, ran 74 plays and picked up 22 first downs. It wasn't a perfect showing from Jay Hill's unit, but the group made three game-changing plays that sparked the victory.
"No matter who's in, we've got to do our thing," Etta said of the mindset. "But we've got a young guy [Carr] coming in, so we gotta help him the best we can."
Special teams: C
It was a quiet day on this front, with no big plays, but none allowed, either.
Cam Brown punted six times for 220 yards (36.7 average) with one that went more than 50 yards and two which pinned PSU inside its own 20. U-M didn't attempt a field goal, but Trey Butkowski did hit all three of his extra points. Kuzdzal had one kick return for 16 yards while Salesi Moa had one punt return for nine yards in his first time at the position.
Most importantly, Moa didn't put the ball on the ground. U-M did allow one punt return to go 16 yards and one kick return to go 17 yards, but covered well in the kicking game most of the afternoon.
Coaching: B-
The decision to bench Underwood in favor of Carr was likely tough on a personal level, but necessary. Kudos to the staff for making the switch when their hand was forced. Kyle Whittingham talked about the "fine line" that needs to be walked when making the decision, and he stands by letting Underwood stay as the starter as long as he did.
"People say, 'Well, you should have gone to Tommy sooner.' No, I don't think so," Whittingham said. "I think that how this has unfolded has given Bryce an opportunity to prove himself.
"Again, I'm not sitting here making a decision going forward who it's going to be, because it was not just Bryce Underwood in the first half that wasn't playing at the top of their game. It was the offense in its entirety."
The staff also got Carr ready in the bye week, allowing him half the first team reps, which the freshman said postgame was extremely helpful. The offensive game plan was still largely uninspired, though Michigan did finally take a few deep shots, even if none were successful. While the attack seems improved, the defense did a ton of the work setting U-M up with two short fields.
Make "Hail Yes!" your go-to Wolverines podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live/on demand on YouTube.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football grades vs Penn State: Tommy Carr just what U-M needed
