Michigan quarterback Tommy Carr has a long way to go in his development and growth as the program’s starting signal caller. However, the freshman has displayed more than enough potential to have confidence in his future.
Carr was spectacular in every sense in a 28-21 win over Rutgers last week, totaling a season-high 320 yards and three touchdowns, completing 22-of-27 attempts. It was a great performance for a freshman’s first road start.
“He played a complete game,” head coach Kyle Whittingham said.
“His ability to rip off key runs, do a good job with his reads, progression and decision-making. I can’t say enough good things about how he played. It was a very good game.”
Not only did he showcase impressive accuracy and decision-making in the passing game, but Carr’s ability to escape the pocket and make clutch plays on the ground proved to be one of the biggest factors in Michigan coming out with a win.
“He’s a natural playmaker,” tight end Hogan Hansen told the media. “He just has a knack for spreading the ball around. He’s not going to stare down his first read. He’s aware of how the play develops and he’s always keeping his eyes open.”
Carr’s composure and poise are always brought up by his coaches and teammates when asked about him, and that was evident in the win at Rutgers. He constantly came up with clutch plays in his second career start.
“The main word I use for Tommy is ‘poise,’” offensive lineman Evan Link said on Tuesday. “He’s very calm in the huddle and pocket. That kind of radiates to our offense. He’s in control and he’s very calm. I think those are great qualities for a quarterback.”
With the pass rush barreling down on him and the game still in the balance, he didn’t blink. Carr remained posied, escaping the pocket and alluding multiple defenders on his way to scoring the game-winning touchdown.
“The moment hasn’t been too big for him,” quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. told the media on Wednesday. “He’s just calm, cool and collected. He has that look in his eye and he has been able to really handle everything that we have been doing up to this point.
“There are some guys that can feel the pressure and some guys that can’t, and Tommy just has that feel. He has a very good knack for it. Tommy has a really nice understanding of when he has time and when there’s pressure.”
Carr was thrust into action as Michigan trailed Penn State at halftime a few weeks back, and he led a comeback win and scored the game-winning touchdown. Just two weeks later, he continued to showcase his potential in the win at Rutgers.
“I’m super proud of him. It’s been fun to watch him from the second half against Penn State until now,” Detmer said. “We felt confident that when the moment was presented to him, he would be ready to step in and help us win games.”
Even though it hasn’t been perfect, Carr’s overall body of work since taking over the starting job has been promising. It will be key for the freshman quarterback to continue improving, and the program is confident in him getting better and leading the way.
