Jack Tuttle provided the spark, but is he Michigan’s answer at QB?

SEATTLE – Michigan continued its search for a reliable quarterback on Saturday, turning to the bench for the second time this season to find an answer.

After the Wolverines struggled from a two-touchdown deficit early in their 27-17 loss to Washington, head coach Sherrone Moore replaced starter Alex Orji with veteran backup Jack Tuttle, a 25-year-old journeyman whose offseason was delayed by injury .

And while Tuttle provided the initial spark by leading Michigan on three consecutive scoring drives and turning a 14-0 hole into a 17-14 lead, his costly late errors hampered the comeback.

“I think the players benefited from it,” Moore said of Tuttle, who was 10 of 18 for 98 yards and a touchdown. “He trained well all week and came back healthy, which was great for us.”

Therein lies the key factor: health. Tuttle’s recovery from a torn UCL in his right elbow that he suffered last season was slowed this offseason, limiting his availability and leaving the coaching staff to choose between Davis Warren and Alex Orji at quarterback.

The team ultimately chose Warren, the more skilled passer of the two, whose 67 percent completion rate was overshadowed by his six interceptions in three starts. The ball losses were too great, they decided and switched to the ground-based Orji. But back-to-back games with fewer than 100 passing yards and a slow start Saturday, when Michigan mustered just 47 yards on its first three drives, paved the way for Tuttle.

“(Last week) was the first week back that the doctors cleared him,” Moore said. “He had been practicing and doing things, but this week he came in really well and felt good. (We) were confident about getting him back in the game.”

Tuttle, 25, entered the season with the most quarterback experience, appearing in 21 games and making five starts at a previous stop at Indiana. There he backed up Michael Penix Jr. and was hampered by injuries before transferring to Michigan for the 2023 season.

Last year, Tuttle appeared in six games, serving as an emergency backup while overcoming a left shoulder injury and torn ACL.

“It was definitely tough,” Tuttle said. “Just being able to throw a football again is just a blessing from God. No matter the wins or losses, I just keep thanking him for being able to throw the football. It’s been a tough nine to ten months, but that doesn’t excuse the game. I still have to get better.”

Immediately after Saturday’s game began, Michigan’s offense had success with Tuttle. The Wolverines got on the scoreboard with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped by a 39-yard run by Donovan Edwards, followed by an eight-play, 56-yard drive that resulted in a field goal.

Michigan even came out of halftime with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, highlighted by a series of well-executed throws from Tuttle, who threw a 32-yard bullet to Amorion Walker, hit Semaj Morgan for a 16-yard reception and rolled right and found a wide-open Colston Loveland for an 8-yard TD.

“It just gave us a spark, especially the play where he threw the touchdown to Colston,” said Edwards, who rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 23 yards. “It was just a big morale boost. I liked the way – before he went into the game – he told everyone, “Listen to me, look at me.” Everyone just gave him their eyes. He has great leadership qualities and skills.”

While Tuttle provided the spark, he also dampened any hopes of a comeback. He fumbled the football with 8:02 left in the fourth quarter, giving Washington a short field and four-play, 32-yard touchdown drive. Then he threw an interception with 3:24 left that led to an easy, game-winning UW field goal.

Turnover was a sticking point for Moore and his staff when it came to finding a quarterback. Warren committed too many of them, while Orji only committed one, leaving the Michigan offense too one-dimensional.

Tuttle seemed to give the Wolverines’ offense a fighting chance and has the experience to back it up.

“He has a chance to be good because he played a lot of college football,” Moore said. “We will watch the film. I like the way he played. I feel good about what he did. If we had to play tomorrow, I would say Tuttle would be our starting quarterback. I want to build things so that we have success with him and we have success with Donovan and Kalel (Mullings) and the rest of our guys.

“I feel like he gives us a great chance to win; We just need to clean up the turnovers and go from there.”

Michigan is currently 4-2 and is at a crossroads heading into quarterback week. While Tuttle appears to be the right choice going forward, offering the ideal mix of experience, arm strength and mobility, even he showed some deficiencies that ultimately prevented the comeback.

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