It wasn't pretty - oh my goodness, it was very ugly - but Michigan managed to secure its first conference win of the season, and it came on the back of Tommy Carr. That is right: head coach Kyle Whittingham made the expensive decision to bench Bryce Underwood for Carr, who came in and immediately lit a fire under the Wolverines' offense.
Now, it's not like Carr came in and threw the ball all over the field, finishing with just 47 passing yards on five completions, but he had this offense moving and grooving with the run game. Penn State's defense has to respect the pass with Carr in the game, opening up the run game tremendously, even behind an injury-ridden offensive line.
Carr wasn't the only star in Michigan's close win over the Nittany Lions as this team found new life in the second half.
Losers
Bryce Underwood
There is really only one loser from this game, and that is Underwood by far. After throwing two first-half interceptions and being booed off the field at halftime, Whittingham made the move that some thought he never would, and benched his former five-star quarterback. That meant it was time for Carr to shine, and boy did he.
Underwood stood on the sideline cheering on his teammate and Carr, as one would expect, but it was clear he was ready to go in at a moment's notice with his helmet on. Underwood could have played his final snaps as the starter for Michigan against Penn State, as Whittingham could make the permanent switch to Carr going forward.
Winners
Tommy Carr
Is it really a big surprise to see Carr on the winners list? No, because Carr is the ultimate winner in Michigan's win over Penn State. Not only did Carr come in and get this offense going, helping the Wolverines score three second-half touchdowns, but one came from his legs with a rushing touchdown that gave Michigan some breathing room late in the fourth quarter.
Carr wasn't perfect, far from it, but if Whittingham chooses to make him the starter going forward, the more he plays, the better he will hopefully get. Offensive coordinator Jason Beck will need to crack open the playbook a lot more if Carr is under center for the rest of the season.
Savion Hiter
This was the game fans have been starving for from Savion Hiter. After the run game got off to a slow start in the first half, Hiter came out in the second half and blew the doors off the hinges. Hiter finished the day with 78 yards on 11 carries, just three fewer carries than Jordan Marshall, but led the team in yards.
Hiter at times was tough to bring down in the open field, breaking off huge runs, his longest going for 41 yards late in the game. Even though he didn't find the end zone, this was Hiter's biggest game so far. He and Carr could become a freshman dynamic duo that opposing defenses will need to fear in the future.
Chris Bracy
Chris Bracy was another Wolverine who had his biggest game of the season so far against Penn State. Bracy was all over the field for a Michigan defense that struggled more than usual against the Nittany Lions.
Bracy recorded his first interception of the season, picking off Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht in the third quarter. Bracy forced the fumble against Becht in the fourth quarter, bringing pressure and hitting the arm of the Penn State quarterback, causing him to lose the ball. Bracy's five solo tackles tied for the most on the day with fellow defensive back Jyaire Hill.
Rod Moore
Rod Moore was the spark the Michigan defense needed in the second half, getting the first of Michigan's three turnovers. Unfortunately, Moore was injured on his diving interception of Becht on Penn State's first drive of the second half, and he never returned to the game.
That interception, though, gave Michigan the fuel it needed on defense, in turn giving confidence to an offense operating under a new quarterback.
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