Bryce Underwood Benched by Michigan, Replaced by Lloyd Carr's Grandson Tommy vs. Penn State

Michigan benched quarterback Bryce Underwood at halftime of the Wolverines' home game against Penn State on Saturday afternoon.

Underwood completed 5-of-11 passes for 43 yards and two interceptions against 3-3 Penn State, which lost three games (all Big Ten battles) entering Saturday.

PSU held a 3-0 lead at the break after Michigan's five drives ended in three punts and two picks for 80 total yards.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham made clear to CBS Sports' Jenny Dell at halftime that Michigan needed to get going offensively.

Ultimately, Michigan decided to roll with backup quarterback Tommy Carr, the grandson of former Wolverines head coach Lloyd Carr.

Carr, a true freshman from Saline, Michigan, is a 4-star prospect .

Underwood, the No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2025, has been Michigan's starter for two seasons. Last season, he completed 60.3 percent of his passes for 2,428 yards (7.2 yards per attempt), 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed for 392 yards and six touchdowns for the 9-4 Wolverines, who ultimately finished No. 69 in scoring out of 136 Division I-FBS teams.

This year's offense has regressed. Entering Saturday, the Wolverines were 102nd out of 138 Division I-FBS teams in points per game (23.0). Underwood completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 881 yards (7.8 YPA), five touchdowns and four picks while adding 212 rushing yards and two scores.

Michigan failed to score 20 or more points in four of its five games, with the lone exception being a 52-17 win over UTEP.

Ultimately, Whittingham, in his first season as Michigan's head coach after leading Utah's program for two decades, decided his team needed a change.

Michigan scored two third-quarter touchdowns largely off the strength of its running attack. Bryson Kuzdzal scored a 43-yard TD, and Jordan Marshall added a one-yard score. On the second drive, Carr hit tight end Hogan Hansen for a 22-yard pass and later added a 22-yard run that got called just short of the goal line.