The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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8 THE WOLVERINE ❱ NOVEMBER 2026 M ichigan football snapped its Daily Double of Devastation in Big Ten play by squeezing past conference-winless Penn State. That one kept hope alive, while ushering in dra- matic change. Life doesn't get any easier. By the time this reaches many, the Wolverines will have squared off against the Fighting Cignettis, college football's defending national champions. (That still sounds as odd as someone offering to sell you their collection of all-time Detroit Lions Super Bowl ticket stubs.) If Kyle Whittingham's crew pulled THAT upset off, waves of newfound swagger might roll over The Big House. If not, a 1-3 start to the Big Ten season hits like a grand piano dropped from the 10th floor onto an unsuspecting sidewalk jogger. Either way, there's a tough road ahead. The last time Michigan started a Big Ten season 0-2, Brady Hoke's crew was on its way to 5-7 and the Hunt for Harbaugh was on. Obviously, the present staff gets time to build — both within this season and beyond. There are some confidence- bolstering elements already afoot. Here are two heartening developments over the first half of the football season, and one reason this team won't likely reach its stated goals. First, the plusses … Defensive coordinator Jay Hill's crew arrived at the midway point of the regular season ranked fourth in the nation in total defense. The Wolverines' opponents were averaging only 256.5 yards per game, just 1/10th of a yard behind LSU for No. 3. Michigan ranked No. 21 in scoring de- fense (16.17 average) and No. 13 in rushing defense (89.7). Just as importantly, they showed signs of turnover table-setting just at the right time. The 3 turnovers U-M forced against Penn State in the second half led to all 3 touchdowns in the 21-18 cliffhanger. That development felt like rain in the desert after the Wolverines averaged only 1 takeaway per game in the opening five efforts. That's not what Hill's crews normally produce, as just two years ago his BYU defense led the nation with 22 interceptions. If this group picks it up in the turn- over column and maintains solidity in all other areas, Michigan ought to be in every game. They were obviously right there in the first half dozen, losing by just 1 to Iowa and 6 to Minnesota with an offense plumbing the bottom of the NCAA stats. "It would help us immensely," Whit- tingham insisted regarding the takeaways. "Those three takeaways in the second half [against Penn State] were really the dif- ference in the game … We should start having prop bets on how long it takes me to talk about turnovers here in the press conference. It's so valuable. Without them, I'm not sure we win that game." Freshman QB Tommy Carr's emer- gence from the sidelines in the second half against Penn State produced a reac- tion that shook The Big House. Onlookers sought something, anything, that might change the moribund nature of an offense that put 19 or fewer points on the board in every game but one. Carr's 30 minutes of action produced 21 — just enough to win. His 12-yard bolt into the end zone for the game-winning score left his grandfather — former Mich- igan head coach Lloyd Carr — as gleeful as he looked when the clock ticked away in 1997. It also almost certainly left the younger Carr in charge of the offense for the fore- seeable future. Whittingham insisted a secret plan at quarterback had been set- tled on behind closed doors at Schem- bechler Hall. But any such scheme that didn't feature Carr trotting out to open the Indiana game would be regarded by the home crowd like Rich Rodriguez's ap- proach to Big Ten defense. Sophomore QB Bryce Underwood — who it must be noted handled the mid- game QB switch with incredible poise and grace by rooting for and helping Carr — was directly involved in 9 of Michigan's 11 turnovers in the first six games. He'd di- rected an offense that produced an average 20.9 points over five-and-a-half games. Carr's QB stint beat that in 30 minutes. "It was good to see Tommy come in un- der pretty difficult circumstances for a first-year guy and respond … 220 yards in the second half and three touchdowns, no turnovers," Whittingham said. "A lot of good stuff going on in the second half. "You've seen it before when a backup guy comes in. You get a little bit of energy and excitement. … It did not surprise me that the team rallied around Tommy, and [so did] the crowd." Everybody rallies around results. That's what Michigan produced, with Carr be- hind center. And with quarterbacks dropping like flies around the conference, never say never. With a softer slate, this team could sur- vive and maybe even thrive. But consider: The back half of Michigan's schedule in- cludes No. 2 Ohio State, No. 6 Indiana, No. 10 UCLA and No. 25 Oregon. And the Wolverines already lost to No. 14 Iowa. It's too much. Always was, like many predicted. But in a foundation-building year, it's time for big fixes and sharper showings down the stretch. ❑ WOLVERINE WATCH ❱ JOHN BORTON Two Reasons For Hope Freshman backup QB Tommy Carr offered the needed spark in the second half against Penn State that led to 21 points and a come-from- behind victory. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Senior writer John Borton has been with The Wolverine since 1991. Contact him at jborton@thewolverine.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @JB_Wolverine.