Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham said he didn’t want to play cat and mouse with his starting quarterback decision, but he left the question unresolved anyway.
“We don’t want to play this game every week, who’s going to start,” Whittingham told reporters on Monday, later adding on his radio show that the player dubbed QB1 would get 100% of the first-team reps.
Freshman Tommy Carr made his first career start last week against defending national champion Indiana, and reports pointed to the Wolverines sticking with him on Saturday afternoon for their game against Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J.
“We think it’s in our best interest to get that defined …,” Whittingham said, “especially when you have, if it is Tommy, a guy that has such limited experience that needs every rep he can get.”
Carr replaced an unproductive Bryce Underwood on Oct. 17 and helped Michigan pull out a 21-18 home win over Penn State. While the Wolverines’ defense kept them in the following game against then-No. 6 Indiana, Carr completed 20 of 32 throws for 167 yards (5.2 per attempt), with one interception.
The Wolverines could have had a touchdown in that game, but during the third quarter they called for play-action at the Indiana 1. Carr took a 13-yard sack, and the ensuing field-goal try was no good. The Hoosiers won 13-6 in overtime.
Michigan (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) ranks fourth nationally in total defense and has not allowed more than 20 points in a game. Dom Nichols (2.5 sacks) leads a number of individuals contributing to a sound unit. But the offense ranks outside the top 100 at 22.7 points per game, including 15 ppg in Big Ten action.
Rutgers (2-5, 1-3) presents an opportunity for the Wolverines’ offense to get on track. The Scarlet Knights gave up 47 points in a loss to Indiana on Oct. 3, outhustled Maryland 37-30 for their lone conference win, and followed that with a 42-14 drubbing at then-No. 24 Northwestern on Saturday.
“When I say we have to coach better,” coach Greg Schiano said, “whenever that big board with the lights, when our number’s smaller than the other team, we didn’t do a good enough job coaching. … There’s not a player I ever met that said, ‘Let me go out there and screw this up.'”
Running back Antwan Raymond (150 yards, one TD last week) and receiver KJ Duff (four 100-yard games, nine TDs) star on offense, but the Scarlet Knights also have cycled through quarterbacks, partly due to Dylan Lonergan’s multiple injuries.
Lonergan suffered a head injury against Northwestern, and AJ Surace struggled in his place. Schiano did not divulge Lonergan’s playing status.