ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A true freshman isn't supposed to start at quarterback in college football, especially for a Power Four team like Michigan football. And yet, for the second straight year, the Wolverines have a true freshman starter.
The maize and blue moved on from Bryce Underwood in favor of Tommy Carr, and in Carr's second start, he passed for 266 yards and a touchdown at an 80% clip and rushed for 54 yards and two more touchdowns. Though his first start against Indiana didn't go as hoped, it appears that he's a more natural fit to run offensive coordinator Jason Beck's offense than Underwood.
And he's getting a vote of confidence from his teammates.
Senior offensive lineman Evan Link shares why he believes in Carr and what he's been able
to do to keep the offense running, even with just two and a half games under his belt.
"The main word I use for Tommy is just poised," Link said. "I think he's very calm in the huddle. He's very calm in the pocket. I think that kind of radiates to our offense, right? Obviously, he's a young guy, right? So sometimes we kind of have to keep him in there. But most of the time, it's that dude reminding us to calm down and stay in control. So I think that's the word I use for him. He's just poised. He's in control. He's very calm. And I think that's a great quality for a quarterback."
You can see the poise in action on plays like the one where Link was tripped up by tight end Hogan Hansen in the red zone vs. Rutgers. Pressure ended up getting through the line, and Carr scrambled, looking downfield to see if he could find a receiving threat in a timely fashion. One not available, he found a crease, and rushed into the end zone for his second touchdown on the ground.
Hansen noted that he just has that 'it' factor, and that aids the offense, particularly when things break down.
But more than that, Carr managed to hit eight different receivers against the Scarlet Knights, so it wasn't just about finding JJ Buchanan and Andrew Marsh -- everyone got involved.
"I think he's just like a natural playmaker," Hansen said. "We saw that in spring, in the spring when he didn't even fully know the offense, just like rolling out and finding people who are open. Like, I just think he has a knack, a knack for spreading the ball. He's not going to stare down the first read. He's aware of how the play develops, and he's always keeping his eye open."
Fans will get another opportunity to see Carr in action on Saturday, this time in a rivalry game, when Michigan football hosts MSU at The Big House for a night game on Peacock.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football teammates explain why they believe in Tommy Carr
