Michigan got absolutely rocked, 31-7, by No. 16 Oregon this past Saturday, and all eyes are on head coach Kyle Whittingham’s baffling quarterback decisions. With a 5-5 record now staring them down, Wolverines fans are right to be asking some serious questions about what went down in Eugene.
Two QBs, Zero Touchdowns, One Brutal Loss
Let’s cut right to it: the passing game was a complete no-show. Whittingham threw both Tommy Carr and Bryce Underwood out there, and neither could get anything going. Total passing yards for the Wolverines? A pathetic 71. Carr managed just 4 completions on 12 attempts for 45 yards, while Underwood wasn’t much better, going 2 for 8 for 26 yards. Not a single touchdown pass from either guy. That’s a brutal stat line for any team, let alone one trying to keep their season alive.
The Pre-Planned Chaos and the Mid-Game Pivot
Whittingham tried to explain himself after the game, saying he gave Underwood another shot because Carr’s play had “gone south on him” in the previous loss to Michigan State. He said Carr’s performance was “very similar to what Bryce’s was when we pulled Bryce several weeks ago.” So, basically, he pulled one guy for playing bad, then put him back in after the *other* guy played bad. Does that make sense? Not really.
What’s even wilder is that Whittingham admitted they went into the Oregon game with a pre-planned substitution. He said they intended to insert Underwood on the third offensive series, “unless, you know, you have a tentative plan, that we would have two fabulous 80-yard drives, we wouldn’t have made the switch.” Seriously? So, if the offense *wasn’t* tearing it up, they were going to swap QBs, no matter what? Underwood came in late in the first quarter with Michigan already down 14-0. The passing game kept stalling, yet after halftime, Whittingham put Carr back in, saying they felt he gave them “the best chance to win.” It’s a head-scratcher, folks.
One Play Can’t Save a Season
The only real bright spot for Michigan came from Savion Hiter, who broke off a fantastic 70-yard touchdown run. He ended up with 107 rushing yards on 13 carries. That’s a great individual effort, but one big run can’t mask the absolute mess at quarterback. Michigan is now sitting at 5-5, and with decisions like these, you gotta wonder what Whittingham’s next move is, and if they can even salvage this season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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