ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The hope with Bryce Underwood leading the Michigan football team was that if a play broke down, he would revert to backyard football and just be able to make things happen. And while that was the attempt, at times, it wouldn't be positive plays that Underwood would create as much as negative ones -- loss of yards, or worse, turnovers.
Thus far, freshman Tommy Carr has done a good job after replacing Underwood as the starting quarterback. While he does have two turnovers -- both against Indiana -- he appears to be more capable of escaping the pocket and making a play.
Coming from a notable football family, it appears that he's more than able to play that 'backyard football' style, and he makes good, cunning decisions once a play breaks
down.
"100%, I think that there's some things that we try to work in (independent drills) that you can try to kind of emulate and work to get better at," quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. said. "But I do think a lot of kids just kind of have some instincts, and they have some awareness, and some really good kind of pocket presence, and things of that nature where they can showcase that backyard football. But then with the skill players, and like you mentioned, that chemistry and that connection, we do train that at a high level. And you have to train it because some kids, whether it be coming from high school or just being with different quarterbacks at different places, they might not experience so much of that -- scramble drill is, what we call it. Where you gotta train them to be ready and know, and we talk about it, you know that if I run a route and I'm not quite open to start, there's a great chance Tommy's scrambling around, and you gotta be ready to separate and get open.
"And so we do train that at a high level, and so I do think you can improve and get better there. But from the instincts and just awareness thing, I think a lot of, some guys have it, and some guys maybe it comes along with their growth and development just over the years in the program."
Where Carr has been particularly impressive is he's been able to survey the field and feel accurate pressure coming his way. From there, he may escape the pocket and throw downfield, he may tuck it and run. But against both Penn State and Rutgers, when pressure came his way, he saw open lanes to the end zone and scored touchdowns.
Detmer says he has a good knack for it, but what's more, it's something that the coaches work to train -- knowing the situation and being able to manipulate it as best he can in the moment.
"I think he's been, for the most part, exceptional that way," Detmer said. "He does have a very good knack of -- there's some quarterbacks that when they scramble, or protection breaks down, or they have to get out of the pocket, it's more of a run-first mentality. And there's others that I've been around where they're more of a scramble, get out of the pocket to not try to find a chunk play or something downfield. And it seems like Tommy has a nice understanding of when I have time and when there's not pressure or anything right on me, where I can still scan the field and try to find an open receiver.
"We always try to encourage and coach trying to find guys on the sideline where you're working. And then when there's nothing there and when he feels green grass, just pulling down and going. So he's done a really, really nice job that way. And just continuing to train it, like I said, in practice. When those situations come up, being able to work it and receivers being on the same page."
Fans will get another chance to see Carr and the Michigan football offense in action on Saturday, when the Wolverines host rival Michigan State at The Big House. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. EST, and the game will stream on Peacock.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan QB coach Koy Detmer Jr. explains Tommy Carr's playmaking
