Michigan’s 31-7 loss to No. 16 Oregon was an absolute nightmare, but what head coach Kyle Whittingham had to say about his quarterback decisions after the game? That’s the real head-scratcher. After throwing out both Tommy Carr and Bryce Underwood in a game where neither could get anything going, Whittingham tried to explain his baffling choices, and frankly, it just adds to the confusion.
The Quarterback Carousel That Went Nowhere
Let’s talk about the passing game, or lack thereof. The Wolverines managed a measly 71 passing yards *total* against Oregon. Carr completed just 4 of 12 passes for 45 yards. Underwood? Even worse, finishing 2 of 8 for 26 yards. Not a single touchdown pass from either guy. Michigan is now sitting at a dismal 5-5 on the season. Whittingham tried to justify giving Underwood another shot, pointing back to Carr’s struggles in their previous loss to Michigan State. “Well, you saw Tommy’s play last week. It was really very similar to what Bryce’s was when we pulled Bryce several weeks ago,” Whittingham said. He followed up, “I thought Bryce deserved another opportunity. And so that was the sole reason. It was giving Bryce another opportunity. Tommy’s game, kind of went south on him the previous week, and that was our (approach) to the game.” The team had already reopened the quarterback competition after that Michigan State defeat, so a change wasn’t entirely unexpected. But the way it played out Saturday? That’s where it gets wild.
The “Plan” That Blew Up and the Head-Scratching Halftime Call
Whittingham revealed they actually went into the game with a plan to insert Underwood during the third offensive possession. The only way that wouldn’t happen is if Carr and the offense were absolutely lighting it up. “We had planned for the third 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,” Whittingham explained. “But the plan was that, you know, barring something that was out of the ordinary, we would play Bryce in that third series. And then decide from that point forward, just to give us the best chance that we could.” Underwood indeed came in late in the first quarter with Michigan already down 14-0. However, neither quarterback could ignite the passing attack. The Wolverines’ only touchdown all game came on a huge 70-yard run by Savion Hiter, who ended up with 107 rushing yards on 13 carries. So what happened after halftime? The most baffling decision of all: Whittingham went *back* to Carr. When asked why, the coach simply said it was about “playing the guy that we felt gave us the best chance to win, that was what we decided, was that Tommy was in that situation, in that position at that point.” Unfortunately for Michigan, that choice did absolutely nothing. The offense sputtered to a total of 286 yards, with 215 of those on the ground. Meanwhile, Oregon’s quarterback Dylan Raiola absolutely tore apart Michigan’s defense, racking up 341 passing yards and four touchdowns.
With Michigan now sitting at 5-5, and their quarterback situation a full-blown mystery wrapped in a riddle, you gotta wonder what Whittingham’s “best chance to win” actually looks like from here.
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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