Michigan football’s rushing attack went from inexplicably terrible to absolutely dominant in the second half against Penn State, exploding for 174 yards after a measly 37 in the first half. What a wild swing, right? It was a tale of two halves, and honestly, we all know which half had us on the edge of our seats.
How Did Michigan’s Run Game Go From Elite to Embarrassing?
Coming into the 2026 season, everyone, and I mean *everyone*, expected Michigan to be an elite rushing team. This has been the absolute bedrock of their offense for the last five years, even when other parts of the attack were stuck in the mud. Plus, offensive coordinator Jason Beck had just led the No. 2 rushing team for the past two seasons, first at New Mexico and then at Utah. The guy knows how to run the ball! So to see the rushing attack just… vanish? It was “inexplicably terrible” is the only way to put it. Seriously, what was going on out there in that first half?
Tommy Carr’s Arrival and Kuzdzal’s ‘Something Happened’ Moment
Then, boom. The second half against Penn State, and everything just broke wide open. After those dismal 37 yards in the first 30 minutes, they piled on a staggering 174 in the final half. And what was the catalyst? Freshman Tommy Carr came in to lead the offense. Tailback Bryson Kuzdzal was the guy who truly “broke open the floodgates,” scoring Michigan’s first points on a long touchdown and celebrating with Channing Goodwin. But even Kuzdzal himself couldn’t pinpoint one thing. “I don’t know how much of it related to Tommy, but I know after the first half, none of us were feeling like we went out there playing how we were supposed to be playing,” Kuzdzal said after the game. “So maybe Tommy had something to do with it. Maybe it was just the team coming together and finally decided to play hard. But something happened, and we came out a different team.” Whatever that “something” was, it worked, big time. Tommy Carr even rushed for a touchdown himself and had a big gain earlier, nearly scoring in the third quarter. It was a complete shift, leading to Michigan rallying to beat Penn State, 21-18.
This 21-18 rally against Penn State wasn’t just a win; it showed what this team can do when they finally hit their stride. If they can bring that second-half intensity consistently, starting now, then every opponent better watch out. That’s the kind of momentum that can make or break a season, and this team just found it.
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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