ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- According to PFF, only 19 quarterbacks in the country had a better week than Michigan football QB Tommy Carr. Against Rutgers, Carr was 22-for-27 for 266 yards, with a passing touchdown, no interceptions, with 12 carries for 54 yards on the ground, and two rushing touchdowns. He posted a Week 9 offensive grade of 83.1 and a passing grade of 82.1 -- both good for 20th in PFF's rankings among quarterbacks.
On Monday, looking back, Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham reflected on Carr's second start and his performance against the Scarlet Knights. In short, there was nothing that Whittingham didn't like about the freshman's game this past week.
"I liked everything about what he did," Whittingham said. "I know it's only one
game; we know it's only one game, but if you project that one game out through the season, he's the best quarterback in the country statistically. When you talk about QBR, which is the ESPN analytic QB rating, it takes into account not just throwing the ball, running the ball, taking sacks, the whole nine yards. He graded out, I think he was 91 or 92, and the top quarterback in the country right now is like 90 or 89.
"So, bottom line is, he played a complete game, did so many good things. Completion percentage was up over 80%. Yards per attempt, 9.9 to 10 yards. If you can get 10 yards per attempt, you're having a monster game throwing the ball. 266 yards, no turnovers, key runs. His running ability was as important in that game as anything else that went on. His ability to rip off those key runs for us. He just really did a good job with his reads, his progression, his decision-making. And so, I can't say enough good things about how he played. Again, it's one game, but that was a great game."
The ESPN QBR rating that Whittingham was referencing was a 92.1. Miami's Darian Mensah has a 90.3 on the season and posted a 93.7 QBR this past week against North Carolina.
Carr's performance vs. Rutgers was enough for Whittingham to declare the quarterback competition closed, once again, naming him the starter this upcoming week against Michigan State, and beyond.
"Yeah, Tommy will start this week and for the foreseeable future unless something changes," Whittingham said. "He played so well. I mean, it's pretty much a given. We haven't had a conversation with the team since the game because Sunday's their day off. But we'll cover all that."
Saturday's game against the Spartans will be Carr's fourth of the season, and it will be his third start of the year. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EST at The Big House, and the game will be televised on NBC's streaming service, Peacock.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Kyle Whittingham names Tommy Carr Michigan's starting QB going forward
