One-possession games are something the Michigan Wolverines have lived and died by in 2026. There has only been one game this season where the game wasn't decided by a play or two, and that came in Week 2 against UTEP.

While Rutgers had won two games entering Saturday, Michigan lived by its mantra. Despite getting out to a 14-3 lead, the Wolverines allowed Rutgers to claw its way back into the game and tie it up at 21-21 in the fourth quarter. Freshman Tommy Carr would call game with a rushing touchdown and the Wolverines' defense would then hold the Scarlet Knights for Michigan to walk out with a 28-21 win.

Here are some eye-popping stats from the win.

Tommy Carr's name on the stat sheet

According to MGoBlue.com, Carr's 81% completion rate on Saturday is now the highest single-game completion percentage by any freshman starting quarterback in Michigan history.

Carr completed 22-of-27 passes for 266 yards and he passed for a touchdown, while rushing for two. In his second start as a Wolverine, Carr threw for 184 yards in the first half, which is the most of from the quarterback position since Bryce Underwood passed for 185 yards against Northwestern in 2025.

Carr was the sole reason for Michigan's offense scoring 28 points on the day. He played with poise and confidence. He did miss two long throws that were thrown short, but overall, Carr was very impressive.

JJ Buchanan, Andrew Marsh over 1,000 yards

Both players are in their second season of college football and on Saturday, both Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchanan has caught for over 1,000 yards in their career.

Marsh had seven catches for 51 yards, while Buchanan hauled in five catches for 63 yards and a score. Tommy Carr had a chance to get two long balls to Marsh, but both of them were underthrown. If they were completed, Marsh would've easily been over 100 yards on the day.

While both players are the clear top options, Carr did complete a pass to seven other players on the day, and Travis Johnson also had a target but couldn't haul in the pass.

Defense clutch in the second half

Ironically, it was the worst game the Michigan defense has had all season, and it was against one of the worst opponents on the schedule. Michigan was without both starting edge rushers: John Henry Daley and Dom Nichols. That could've played a factor, but Smith Snowden was beat a few times and didn't play his best game.

Either way, Michigan's defense has been pretty dominant in the second half. Big Ten Network showed a stat that the Wolverines' defense hasn't allowed a catch in the second half in back-to-back games. Josh Hoover couldn't find success against the Wolverines — until overtime. And this week, AJ Surace didn't complete a pass in the second half — he had three total completions in the game.

ZERO completions allowed in the second half of @UMichFootball's last two games 😳 pic.twitter.com/dVSlZTozYy

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 31, 2026

Michigan gained 427 yards in the game and gave up 249 to Rutgers. The Wolverines gave up some chunk plays, along with ill-advised penalties that allowed the Scarlet Knights to move the ball, but Michigan found a way to get out with a win.

The Wolverines are now 5-3 and will host rival Michigan State next weekend.