Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham declined to name his starting quarterback for next week’s game against Indiana, two days after benching Bryce Underwood at halftime of a 21-18 win over Penn State. The Michigan QB decision vs Indiana remains unsettled, with Whittingham saying his staff will have a plan in place by Monday but won’t necessarily share it publicly.
“We will have a great idea when we all know exactly what the plan is on Monday. How much of that we’ll let out of the bag, we’ll see,” Whittingham said.
Whittingham Keeps Quarterback Plan Close
Whittingham’s comments mark a sharp turn from earlier in October, when he firmly backed Underwood as the starter. On Oct. 12, he said, “Jason is calling plays and Bryce is our guy,” referring to offensive coordinator Jason Beck. At the time, Whittingham also warned that Michigan’s turnover trouble needed to be addressed quickly, saying, “If we don’t get this turnover thing fixed rapidly, then something’s got to give.”
Something gave two days before kickoff against Penn State. Michigan trailed 3-0 at halftime with Underwood at quarterback, and he had completed just 5 of 11 passes for 43 yards with two interceptions. Whittingham turned to backup Tommy Carr, who threw for 47 yards on 5-of-7 passing and ran for 36 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown, as Michigan rallied for the win.
Whittingham defended the timing of the switch. “I supported it. I’m not gonna say I was against it but they said, ‘Hey, thinking about making changes.’ Whatever we gotta do.
I think that the timing was probably about as good as it could have been,” he said. He also pushed back on criticism that the move came too late, saying, “People say, ‘Well you should have gone to Tommy sooner.’ No, I don’t think so.”
What It Means For Michigan’s Offense
The quarterback change follows a season of offensive struggles. Michigan ranks 101st nationally at 23 points per game and 98th in rushing at 135 yards per game, according to the New York Post. The Wolverines also carry a minus-4 turnover margin, 122nd out of 138 FBS teams, a figure Whittingham has flagged repeatedly as a problem that needed fixing.
Whittingham said he is not ready to commit to a long-term plan at the position. “Going forward, we’ll take a good, hard look at the tape and see why things bogged down in the first half and why we were better in the second half. Because there wasn’t a whole lot of scheme change. I’m not prepared to say right now at this desk, at this table, what we’re going to do going forward,” he said.
Underwood’s Season And Background
Underwood, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class and a sophomore who signed a $12 million NIL deal, has completed 58% of his passes for 924 yards and five touchdowns with six interceptions through six games this season, according to USA Today. He has also rushed 60 times for 223 yards and two scores. Against Minnesota, he threw interceptions on consecutive plays, and at Iowa he was picked off at the opponent’s 2-yard line, part of a pattern of turnovers that drew scrutiny from Whittingham over the past two weeks.
Despite the benching, Whittingham praised Underwood’s response. “He was out there helping Tommy and talking to him between series. I love Bryce Underwood.
He’s a stand-up guy, he’s competitive, he’s got a ton of want-to, and a pleasant personality. Just a great guy to be around,” Whittingham said.
Carr’s Emergence
Carr, a former three-star recruit, is the grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and the younger brother of Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr. Whittingham said Carr handled his opportunity well. “He was very prepared for when his number was called, and he responded very well,” Whittingham said. The win over Penn State was Michigan’s first Big Ten victory of Whittingham’s tenure with the program.
What’s Next
Michigan’s coaching staff plans to settle on a starting quarterback by Monday ahead of the Indiana game, though Whittingham has not guaranteed the decision will be made public before kickoff. No official announcement on the starter had been made as of Whittingham’s latest comments.
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