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Tommy Carr Scores Twice on the Ground as Michigan Beats Rutgers 28-21 in Piscataway

Freshman quarterback Tommy Carr passed for 266 yards and ran for two second-half touchdowns as Michigan beat Rutgers 28-21 on Saturday, earning the Wolverines their first road win of the season.

By admin Oct. 31, 2026 · 8:46 PM ET 2 min read

Crowds of people walking toward the arched entrances of a large concrete college football stadium, with autumn trees on both sides.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Freshman quarterback Tommy Carr ran for two second-half touchdowns and threw for another as Michigan beat Rutgers 28-21 on Saturday at SHI Stadium, giving the Wolverines their first road win of the season.

A football player in a dark blue uniform and helmet running with a football on a grass field, with other players blurred behind him.
A football player in a dark blue uniform and helmet running with a football on a grass field, with other players blurred behind him.

Carr completed 22 of 27 passes for 266 yards and ran for 54 yards on 12 carries in his second career start. Michigan moved to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in Big Ten play, while Rutgers fell to 2-6 overall and 1-4 in the conference. Carr’s 81 percent completion rate was the highest single-game rate by a freshman starting quarterback in Michigan history, with a minimum of 20 attempts, according to Michigan Athletics.

How Michigan took control, then held on

Michigan scored on its first two possessions. Carr threw a six-yard touchdown pass to JJ Buchanan to finish a 10-play, 92-yard drive, and Jordan Marshall ran two yards for a touchdown to put Michigan ahead 14-3. Rutgers answered with an 80-yard touchdown pass from AJ Surace to Jourdin Houston and a 32-yard field goal by Dane Pizzaro, cutting the lead to 14-13 at halftime.

Carr put Michigan back in front with a 15-yard touchdown run to finish an 11-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half, making it 21-13. Rutgers tied the game at 21-21 with 11:43 left in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run by Clay Thevenin and a two-point conversion pass from Surace to Ben Black III. The tying score was set up by a 54-yard run by Antwan Raymond.

A football player in a dark blue uniform reaching up with both hands to catch a football, with stadium stands behind him.
A football player in a dark blue uniform reaching up with both hands to catch a football, with stadium stands behind him.

Michigan answered with the winning drive. Carr converted on third down three times on the drive, then ran nine yards for a touchdown on third-and-7 with 4:24 left to give Michigan a 28-21 lead. After forcing Rutgers to punt, Michigan picked up two first downs and ran out the clock. Surace finished 3 of 12 passing for 123 yards and a touchdown for Rutgers, and Raymond ran for 85 yards on 11 carries.

Michigan finished with 427 yards of offense, its third-highest total of the season, and converted 12 of 16 third-down attempts. The defense held Rutgers to 87 yards in the second half and did not allow a completed pass in the second half for a second straight game. Michigan also left points on the field with two missed field goals and 90 yards in penalties. Savion Hiter ran for 80 yards on 20 carries for Michigan.

A grass football field with white yard lines and a yellow goal post, with players in the distance and autumn trees behind the stands.
A grass football field with white yard lines and a yellow goal post, with players in the distance and autumn trees behind the stands.

The win improved Michigan to 10-1 all-time against Rutgers and 5-1 in New Jersey, with 10 straight wins in the series. Rutgers last beat Michigan in 2014, in the first meeting between the programs. Michigan hosts Michigan State next Saturday, November 7, at Michigan Stadium.

Reporting based on coverage by Michigan Athletics and Deadspin.

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