Michigan made a quarterback change after their offense struggled during the third scoreless drive in Saturday night’s game against Washington. Alex Orji started the game, but the Wolverines’ offense stalled early, and after falling behind 14-0, head coach Sherrone Moore brought in Jack Tuttle off the bench for his first appearance of the season. Tuttle immediately energized the offense, leading three consecutive scoring drives that gave Michigan a 17-14 lead. However, his performance faltered in the fourth quarter when he committed two costly turnovers—an interception and a fumble—resulting in Michigan’s second loss of the season, 27-17. Tuttle finished the game with 98 passing yards, one touchdown, an interception, and a fumble.
After the game, Sherrone Moore was asked about Tuttle’s future role as the starting quarterback. While Moore stopped short of officially naming him the starter, he strongly hinted that Tuttle could take over the position going forward. “I thought he came out and gave us a spark early,” Moore said. “Three straight drives: touchdown, field goal, touchdown—the players fed off that. He practiced well all week, got back healthy, and it was great for us. We’ll see, but it was definitely a positive. I think he gave us a spark, so we’ll see if he gets to be the starter. It looks like he gives us the best chance to win. We’ve got to clean up the turnovers at the end, but he definitely had an exciting start to the game.”
Many fans wondered why this was the first time they’d seen Tuttle play this season, especially if he provides Michigan the best chance of success. Moore explained that Tuttle had only recently been cleared to practice by the team’s doctors. “Last week was his first week back,” Moore said. “He practiced and did some things, but we really got him involved this week and felt good about him. We had confidence in getting him back in the game.”
As Michigan heads into its bye week, the team has an opportunity to assess its quarterback situation and regroup before taking on Illinois in their next game. Whether Tuttle will officially earn the starting spot remains to be seen, but his debut has provided a potential spark for a Wolverines team in need of a turnaround after their second loss of the season.
