Tommy Carr Shines As Michigan Survives Scare At Rutgers, 28-21

Michigan needed a win in the worst way after last week's disappointing overtime loss to Indiana, and the Wolverines got exactly that on Saturday afternoon at Rutgers. It wasn't always pretty, and it was certainly closer than most expected, but Michigan escaped Piscataway with a 28-21 victory behind an outstanding performance from freshman quarterback Tommy Carr.

Carr, making his second career start, looked like a completely different quarterback than the one who struggled against Indiana's elite defense a week ago.

The freshman completed 22 of his 27 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception. He also added 54 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, accounting for 320 total yards and three scores.

It was easily his most impressive performance in a Michigan uniform.

Carr got things started with a six-yard touchdown pass to JJ Buchanan in the first quarter before Jordan Marshall added a two-yard touchdown run early in the second. However, Rutgers refused to go away, answering with an 80-yard touchdown pass from AJ Surace to Jourdin Houston and eventually cutting Michigan's lead to 14-13 at halftime.

Michigan's offense responded after the break.

Carr capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, extending Michigan's advantage to 21-13. After Rutgers tied things up in the fourth quarter, Carr delivered again, finishing another 11-play, 75-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown run to put the Wolverines ahead for good.

While Carr stole the show offensively, Michigan's defense deserves plenty of credit for its second-half performance.

For the second consecutive week, Jay Hill's defense didn't allow a single completion after halftime. Rutgers finished with just 123 passing yards, all coming in the first half, and Surace completed only three of his 12 attempts.

Defensive end Benny Patterson III led Michigan with seven tackles, while Chris Bracy added six. The Wolverines also recorded two sacks and four tackles for loss.

Offensively, Michigan finished with 427 total yards, including 161 on the ground. Andrew Marsh caught seven passes for 51 yards, while Buchanan added five receptions for 63 yards.

Perhaps the most encouraging statistic was Michigan's performance on third down, converting an impressive 12 of 16 opportunities while holding Rutgers to just 3 of 10.

Still, allowing Rutgers to hang around until the final minutes isn't exactly what Michigan envisioned against a struggling Scarlet Knights team.

The Wolverines have plenty to clean up, particularly with their nine penalties and inability to put the game away earlier.

But Saturday was ultimately about Carr taking a significant step forward, Michigan's defense delivering when necessary and the Wolverines finding a way to win.

For a team desperate for offensive answers, Carr's performance might be the biggest development of all.