Freshman Tommy Carr's second-half magic leads Michigan to must-have win over Penn State

Every season, one of the most anticipated matchups on the Big Ten slate is Penn State and Michigan .

It goes way back, and in more seasons than not, there's a lot on the line.

This year was no different, except the stakes were simply about preventing their respective seasons from getting any worse.

Matt Campbell's Nittany Lions entered with a rough 3-3 record, while Kyle Whittingham and the Wolverines came in at 0-2 in Big Ten play, and looking to avoid dropping to 3-3.

BRYCE UNDERWOOD ADDRESSES KYLE WHITTINGHAM'S COMMENTS ABOUT REMAINING STARTING QB AT MICHIGAN Penn State was first to get on the board.

The Nittany Lions capped off their opening drive with a 24-yard field goal from kicker Ryan Barker after the Rocco Becht-led offense fizzled out in the red zone.

The Nittany Lions absolutely dominated on the time of possession front, staying on offense for nearly two-thirds of the half.

But with the Wolverines threatening to tie the game with a field goal of their own or more on a strong late drive, Penn State freshman Josiah Zayas picked off Michigan's Bryce Underwood with an impressive interception.

That was Underwood's second interception of the first half, and with offense tough to come by, the Wolverines made a decision to throw freshman Tommy Carr under center to see if he could jump-start the offense.

He received a big ovation from fans at the Big House.

Unfortunately for the Wolverines, Carr's first drive of the game was a quick three-and-out that was almost entirely on the ground, save for one 3-yard pass.

However, they got the ball right back as Becht threw an interception on the first play of the ensuing drive, putting the ball right back in Carr's hands with solid field position just past midfield.

That's when Bryson Kuzdzal used his legs to get the Wolverines on the board with an impressive 43-yard run to the end zone.

Later in the quarter, Carr took matters into his own hands and rushed the ball up to the Penn State 1-yard line on what was initially ruled a touchdown but was reviewed and marked short.