A win is a win. That might be the best thing you can say about Michigan football's 28-21 win over Rutgers on Saturday.
The offense showed improvement. The special teams were terrible, and the defense gave up more explosive plays than it has all season.
That being said, Tommy Carr, despite having the flu, was outstanding. He wasn't perfect. There was a throw or two he would like to have back, but the true freshman completed 22 of 27 passes for 266 yards. He had a touchdown pass, 54 rushing yards, and two more touchdowns, including the game-winner.
Carr's play was a big step forward. Kyle Whittingham still has some major questions to answer about this team, but here are three takeaways from Michigan's 28-21 win over Rutgers.
Tommy Carr is QB1
If Bryce Underwood was the starting quarterback, I'm not sure that Michigan wins this game.
Carr was cool under pressure, picking up some huge third downs, such as an 18-yard pass to Hogan Hansen on the last scoring drive. He also converted third-and-6 on his first rushing touchdown in the third quarter.
Underwood still has a future in college football. It's just probably not in Ann Arbor. Carr doesn't have the strongest arm in the world. He's not the most athletic player, but he makes good decisions, throws an accurate football, and is a gamer.
After Rutgers tied the game, he engineered an 11-play, 75-yard drive. Carr connected with seven different receivers on a reception of at least 15 yards.
If Michigan football could make a field goal, this game wouldn't have been as close as it was. The Wolverines should have scored over 30, and Carr certainly held up his end of the bargain on Saturday with 320 total yards and three touchdowns.
Michigan can't stop beating itself
The offense finally showed some life; however, the defense and special teams both struggled, making the game closer than it needed to be.
After getting a 14-3 lead, the Wolverines allowed an 80-yard touchdown reception, the longest scoring play allowed since the 2014 game against Rutgers.
Smith Snowden fell down on the play, making for an easy touchdown. On a 54-yard run by Antwan Raymond, the Wolverines had the play bottled up and simply couldn't make the tackle.
Then, you have the two missed fields and the constant penalties to the point that even a win doesn't feel like a win.
More questions than answers about Kyle Whittingham
It was nice to get a win. Yet, Michigan football didn't play up to expectations again. The Wolverines failed to cover the spread and were a third down or two away from giving Rutgers the chance to take the lead.
Even if Whittingham believed in his heart of hearts that Michigan football is a few plays away from being 7-1, the Wolverines haven't looked like a 7-1 team all season. They certainly didn't look like a team poised for a November push to make the College Football Playoff.
Whittingham just looks old. Whether it's on the sideline or during halftime interviews, there is no excitement or energy. He doesn't look like he cares and the longer he's the head coach, the worse it will be for Michigan football.
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