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    • Tuttle’s performance in relief for Michigan has been mixed, but could be enough to earn a start
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    Tuttle’s performance in relief for Michigan has been mixed, but could be enough to earn a start

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    Seattle — Six games, three quarterbacks. That couldn’t have been how Michigan coach Sherrone Moore envisioned the first half of the season, but this is where the Wolverines are now.

    Davis Warren started the first three games of the season and had six turnovers. He was replaced by Alex Orji for the next three games. Orji started Saturday night in Washington, Michigan’s first road game of the season, but couldn’t move the offense and caught two passes.

    That’s when Jack Tuttle, a seventh-year quarterback who transferred from Indiana before the 2023 season and ultimately was recently medically cleared, took over. With 9:38 left in the first half and Michigan trailing 14-0, Tuttle was put in charge of the offense.

    He immediately gave Michigan a spark, leading the Wolverines to three straight scoring drives and the lead, 17-14 with 8:38 left in the third quarter. But he also had two egregious errors, a fourth-quarter turnover, a fumble and an interception that the Huskies converted into 10 points that helped Washington to a 27-17 victory over the No. 10 Wolverines.

    Michigan has this weekend off before playing Illinois on Oct. 19 to start the second half of the season. Will Tuttle be the starter?

    “Feel good about the way he played,” Moore said. “Feel good about what he did, so if we had to play tomorrow I would say Tuttle would be the starting quarterback and want to build things for us to be successful with him and be successful with (running backs) Donovan ( Edwards) and Kalel (Mullings) and the rest of our guys. It feels like he gives us a great opportunity to win, and we’ll just clean up the turnovers and go from there.

    During his career at Indiana (2019-2022), Tuttle played in 15 games with five starts and was voted captain. He entered this season as Michigan’s only quarterback with starting experience, but a lingering, unspecified injury kept him out of spring training and limited him to preseason camp. Moore said doctors finally cleared him a week before the Washington game.

    “Last week (before the Minnesota game) was his first week that the doctors cleared him,” Moore said. “He had been practicing and doing things, but he really came in this week and felt good. I was confident I could get him back in the game.”

    Tuttle said he knew during the week there was a possibility he could play.

    “I was ready no matter what,” Tuttle said.

    With Washington in the middle of its second scoring drive of the game, Tuttle hopped on the exercise bike to warm up. He then warmed up his arm throwing with freshman quarterback Jadyn Davis. When it was clear he got the call to go in, Orji hugged Tuttle before heading to the field.

    “Regardless of what happens with the quarterback situation, we just want the best for the team and that’s why you see us all supporting each other,” Tuttle said. “We just want to win. We just want the best for the team. That’s what’s going to happen when we go outside. No matter what happens, we stick together. We keep fighting.”

    Tuttle declined to talk about his injury and what would keep him from making a quick return. He’s just happy to be able to play again.

    “It’s definitely been tough,” Tuttle said. “Truly, just to be able to throw a football again is a blessing from God. Regardless of whether you win or lose, always thank Him that you can throw a football again. It was a tough nine or ten months. It doesn’t excuse any play. I have to finish no matter what and get better.”

    With the score tied 17-17, Michigan had gotten the ball early in the fourth quarter after an interception by linebacker Ernest Hausmann. But on the next drive, Tuttle got sloppy, didn’t protect the ball and fumbled on a point. That gave Washington the ball at the Michigan 32-yard line, and the Huskies scored to take a 24-17 lead. On Michigan’s next possession, Tuttle was fouled out and the Huskies added a field goal.

    “The first three drives, that’s really who we are,” Tuttle said of the scoring drives he led. “We just missed some chances in the second half. Personally, I need to be better at protecting the ball. I can’t fumble, that’s not possible. That’s entirely up to me. I can’t put the team and the defense in that situation. And finally, on the last drive, I can’t put the ball in danger. … We’re a really good team. Yes, it’s frustrating. I will do everything I can to ensure this does not happen again.”

    Tuttle was 10 of 18 for 98 yards and a touchdown, an 8-yard pass to Colston Loveland. He was able to work in more receivers as Amorion Walker caught a pass for 22 yards and Semaj Morgan also had a catch for 16 yards. Edwards, who rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown, also had two catches for 23 yards.

    “His name was called at the last minute, went out and was executed,” Loveland said of Tuttle. “Obviously there’s a lot of things that need to be cleared up between all of us on both sides of the ball. Very proud of what he did. Wasn’t disappointing at all. Whatever happened, it happened. It just has to be better.”

    Edwards, who scored on a 39-yard run, called the touchdown pass to Loveland a morale boost.

    “He brought us a spark,” Edwards said of Tuttle. “I loved it before he competed, he told everyone, ‘Listen to me, watch me.’ Everyone was looking at him. He has great leadership qualities and capabilities. I’m grateful that he came out and showed what he can do.”

    Tuttle is 25 and was given a medical exemption by the NCAA for a seventh season. Moore said they had to believe someone would be good in his seventh season, but Tuttle’s situation was all about getting medical clearance.

    Now, with two weeks until the next game, the offense has time to take shape around Tuttle.

    “Our job as coaches, whoever is in there, we have to make the best of it,” Moore said. “We have very good players everywhere. We are going to use their strengths to get better.”

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