Michigan benched Bryce Underwood in the third quarter of Saturday’s game against Penn State, turning to Tommy Carr in an attempt to spark its struggling offense.
Michigan coach takes the call
Head coach Kyle Whittingham made the switch with the Wolverines trailing 3-0, marking a significant decision in his first season leading the winningest program in college football history.
Fans react to Underwood’s benching
The quarterback change quickly sparked a flurry of reactions online, with fans sharing strong opinions about the decision.
One fan declared, “Tommy Carr ain’t giving this job back to Bryce Underwood“
Another user posted, “Tommy Carr could hike the ball and take a big giant sh*t right on the field and have a better QBR than Bryce Underwood.”
Another X account posted, “TOMMY CARR TIME.”
Another fan reacted with disbelief to Underwood’s benching, posting, “They benched Bryce Underwood?!!”
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One user weighed in on the quarterback change, tweeting, “Tommy Carr is in at QB for Michigan… The Bryce Underwood era is officially over at Michigan”
One fan speculated that Underwood could enter the transfer portal following his benching and tweeted, “Well. Guess Bryce Underwood is going to hit the portal. Don’t see him bouncing back from this. Dude is actually getting worse by the week.”
Underwood’s mistakes put starting role at risk
Underwood’s starting role had been under scrutiny since his inconsistent showing in Michigan’s season-opening controversial victory over Western Michigan.
The Michigan quarterback’s problems persisted against Penn State, as he threw two interceptions in the second quarter.
On the first play, receiver Andrew Marsh couldn’t secure a deep throw, giving defensive back Zion Tracy the opportunity to make the interception. Underwood’s next mistake came when he floated a pass that cornerback Josiah Zayas grabbed with one hand.
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The turnovers marked Underwood’s fifth interception in a three-game stretch and his sixth of the season, one more than his total of five passing touchdowns.