Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia grades the performance of freshman quarterback Tommy Carr in Michigan football's 13-6 loss to Indiana in Week 8 of the 2026 season at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
Tommy Carr stats vs Indiana
- 20-for-32 passing.
- 167 passing yards.
- 15 carries.
- 6 rushing yards.
- 0 touchdowns.
- 2 turnovers (one interception, one fumble).
Tommy Carr vs. Indiana
A true freshman making his first career start against a top-10 defense was always going to be a tough test, but even with that said, Carr didn't do his primary job: protect the football. He made a handful of nice plays early − a scramble for 15 yards, a play-action boot for 15 to Andrew Marsh − but three massive gaffes in the first half the story early. He tried a dangerous pitch to Savion Hiter on a speed option and fumbled, which led to IU's first field goal. Then, he forced a ball into quadruple coverage, which was deflected and intercepted,
leading to IU's second field goal. Lastly, late in the half, he took a sack on third-and-3 (it didn't help Brady Norton was beat clean on the inside and he didn't have much time to make a decision, but it was exactly what couldn't happen). That pushed a makeable field goal into a 53-yard attempt and it missed well left. After the break, Carr hit Buchanan on back-to-back post routes for 17, then a play-action boot to Hansen for 12 to get inside the redzone for the first time all day, but Carr was sacked on third-and-goal from the 1 to prevent points from being put on the board. He had a big pass to Channing Goodwin for 24 yards on third down to set up the game-tying score and a scramble on fourth down in OT to keep the game alive. In the end, the team didn't get into the end zone so it was entirely disappointing from the offense, but Carr seemed to grow throughout.
Grade: C+.
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: Tommy Carr grade in first start for Michigan football vs Indiana
