One simple reason why Tommy Carr can open up Michigan's rushing attack

The Michigan Wolverines are reportedly making a change at quarterback.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham didn't want to reveal his plans earlier in the week, but reports from Ann Arbor suggest that former five-star recruit Bryce Underwood is heading to the bench and legacy recruit Tommy Carr will start for the Wolverines.

In what will be the first start of his college career, Carr, a former four-star recruit and the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, will be tasked with taking on the No. 6-ranked Indiana Hoosiers.

Not only are the Hoosiers the defending national champions, but they're smarting after coming off their first loss of the season. Indiana lost in Week 7 to the Ohio State Buckeyes, 19-15. That's a tall order for a first start, but the Wolverines have reason to believe that Carr can make a big change for their offense.

Why Tommy Carr is a difference-maker

He may not have the physical talent or the upside that Underwood brought to the table as an athlete, but the Wolverines are betting on one simple factor that Carr brings to the table that could open up their offense.

Will he be a Heisman Trophy candidate? Probably not. At least not right now. Is he a real threat to throw the football, though, and give Michigan a semblance of a real passing game? The answer to that question is "absolutely yes," and that's something Michigan doesn't have with Underwood at quarterback.

The former five-star has completed just 58.1% of his passes this season for 924 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions. 

Defenses have wanted Underwood to pass, so they've been able to load up the box against Michigan's rushing attack.

Having Carr in the backfield will at least open things up just a bit, because Indiana is going to have to respect that Carr can go over the top if he needs to. 

That will make life easier for Michigan running backs Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter, according to Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic.

"Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter are legit backs," he recently wrote. "Michigan has real talent on the offensive line. The backs just hadn’t seen any room until the second half against Penn State."

Michigan has averaged just 147.67 yards per game on the ground this season, which is 10th in the Big Ten.

The expectation with Carr at quarterback is that those rushing yards per game should jump. Marshall rushed for 932 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, so he has the ability to be a big-time producer. Hiter is a former five-star recruit himself, so all the elements are there for the Wolverines to once again have a strong rushing game.

They don't need Carr to be a superstar. They just need him to provide a passing threat at quarterback, and the rest will take care of itself.