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    • Michigan football brings QB change
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    Michigan football brings QB change

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    SEATTLE – Michigan football has made another quarterback switch.

    The Wolverines trailed Washington 14-0 early in the second quarter at Husky Stadium on Saturday (follow live updates from the game) when head coach Sherrone Moore opted to bench Alex Orji in favor of seventh-year passer Jack Tuttle. Tuttle has long been seen as a safety valve for the Wolverines if they needed to go that direction, but injuries in the spring and summer forced Tuttle’s return to the league.

    Instead, it became a two-man race between Davis Warren and Orji, which was ultimately won by Warren. However, that was short-lived after he threw six interceptions in the first three games, and coaches pulled him ahead of Orji.

    INSIDE THE GAME: Jack Tuttle’s 2024 debut for Michigan football is the same old story: lax ball security

    Tuttle entered the game and led the Wolverines on a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that ended when Donovan Edwards scored on a 39-yard touchdown run. Tuttle completed one pass for five yards on possession and ran twice for 14 yards.

    Tuttle’s second possession covered 56 yards in eight plays and ended with a Dominic Zvada field goal from 45 yards to cut the deficit to 14-10 late in the half. Tuttle is 3-for-4 for 26 yards passing at halftime.

    THE GAME: Michigan offense comes alive with QB change and crumbles late in 27-17 loss at Washington

    When NBC sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen came out of halftime, Moore told her he made the switch to Tuttle to give the offense a spark.

    “(Moore said) we needed a little boost, and he provided that energy, he provided that spark. He’s been practicing well all week, he’s been healthy,” Tappen said on the TV broadcast, paraphrasing what Moore told her. “We’ve known for a few weeks now that Tuttle is healthy, but decided this was the time to bring him in.”

    Tuttle opened the third quarter with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Colston Loveland on a scramble right, giving Michigan 17 straight points and a 17–14 lead.

    The Orji experiment seems to be over after he could no longer commit any fouls. Orji went 7 of 12 for 32 yards in his first career start, a 27-24 win over USC. Last week he was 10 of 18 for 86 yards with one touchdown and one interception as UM outlasted Minnesota, 27-24.

    INSIDER: Kirk Campbell should have known that an “explosive” Michigan offense was always far-fetched

    But on Saturday, things in Seattle reached a breaking point. Orji completed his first three passes for 15 yards, but then threw four straight incompletions, including two batted passes at the line of scrimmage. The best of the three drives was the first, which lasted 8 plays and 31 yards, before a three-and-out and then a 5-play drive went only 14 yards.

    The Huskies took advantage of the short possessions and scored twice on their first four drives to put UM on its heels.

    Tuttle entered the game and UM finally found life.

    Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @RealTonyGarcia.

    Make “Hail yes!” your go-to Michigan Wolverines podcast, available wherever you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify).

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