The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 25 "When he first came in, all he did was just work," Edwards said. "He just con- tinued to learn. Didn't complain. All he did was just work, always encouraging guys. Just for him, the opportunity he had today, everything for the past two years he's been here for. That was great." "Big shout out," Loveland added. "Got his name called at the last minute, went out there and executed. Obviously got a lot of stuff to clean up between both sides of the ball. But yeah, super proud of what he did. He just didn't flinch at all, took the challenge and … whatever happened, happened, but we've just got to be better." Loveland confirmed that the sense in the stands and by those watching on television captured the feeling in the huddle as well. "It got us all excited," Loveland said. "Once we put a drive together, now ev- eryone's excited, everyone's feeling good. Just got to sustain that and keep that the thing." IN HIS OWN WORDS Tuttle himself combines a veteran's blunt self-critique and a rookie's hope- fulness in how he looked at his outing at Washington. There was some angst after- ward, followed by an assessment of where the Wolverines can still go from here. Asked after the game if the result was frustrating, he responded: "Yeah, it is, because we're a really frickin' good team. I don't think this should've happened at all. So, yeah, it is frustrating — and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure it doesn't happen again." He sounds like a young man convinced he's going to get the opportunity, just like Warren and Orji did before him. Both have bought into the idea that all the quarter- backs pull for each other, and Tuttle said Orji wasn't any different in Seattle. "Regardless of what happens with the quarterback situation, we just want the best for the team — and that's why you see all of us supporting each other re- gardless," Tuttle offered. "We just want to win. We really don't care — we just want the best for the team, and that's what's going to happen going on out, regardless of whatever. We're going to stick together as a team this next week and keep fight- ing, man." Days later, Tuttle took responsibility for his part in Michigan not finishing off Washington. "I think obviously it wasn't the out- come we wanted, but we learned a lot personally," he said. "It's a couple plays, two, three plays that I wish I had back that could have won us the game. I take responsibility for my mistakes. I'm going to be better for it." The bye week following Washington presented a chance for him to get fully up to speed in coordination with the skill players around him. He'd practiced some those two weeks leading up to heading for Seattle, but it's different when a quar- terback is getting first-team repetitions with those who are going to be on the field when the game begins. Tuttle vowed to make certain they were all completely in sync before Michigan heads to Illinois. The mission on the Wol- verines' second road trip of the year in- volves not only getting a lead but building on it and coming home with a win. "Even when I was hurt, I was still pre- paring like I was going to play," Tuttle said. "I didn't know if I was ever going to play or not, so that part really doesn't change for me. But just getting more live reps and being with the guys, building more chemistry, finding ourselves. That's really what we're trying to do over the bye." He's looking forward to the final six games of the regular season. Not surpris- ingly, he and his teammates are conced- ing nothing, and expecting much more of what they showed in the initial rally against Washington. "Every single game we've learned something about ourselves," Tuttle said. "This week, we're just taking each of those improvements from each game, putting them together, finding a formula that works for us, and getting better. "We have all the pieces. I think if we come together as a team — we're tight- knit, but we can become even more tight- knit as a unit — we can find ourselves this week. We had a great practice today, so if we keep doing that we're going to be in a good spot." ❏ Joel Klatt Talks About U-M's Quarterback Situation Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt has been as close as anyone outside Schembechler Hall to Michigan's quarter- back dilemma through the opening six games of the season. He has some thoughts on it that might answer the questions about how U-M found itself a bit shorthanded behind center. "I believe that they expected Jack Tuttle to be available at the start of the year," Klatt said, regarding Michigan's coaching staff. "This is the only way that I can reconcile what's been going on through the first month of the season at Michigan, the fact that they've looked so lost and trying to find their way offensively." Many questioned why the Wolverines didn't dip into the transfer portal to grab a more experienced quar- terback. The fact is, they had one on the roster and expected him to be healthy enough to play by the time the season rolled around. Head coach Sherrone Moore hasn't discussed it — and likely won't — but Klatt explained why he looks at the situation like he does. "It's like, hold on, something happened in the offseason and I think it's that they expected Tuttle to be ready, which is why they leaned into this style of system, which is why Davis Warren goes out there as the starting quarterback," Klatt said. "Then, they clearly have to move [away from Warren] because of turnovers, and they go to Alex Orji because Tuttle is not ready. And Orji is just not ready to be a quarterback at this level. He does not throw it well enough, it's painfully obvious." The Washington game provided the opportunity and impetus to put Tuttle behind center, he pointed out. "It's pretty clear, early in that game, they fall down 14-0 and Alex Orji is the quarterback, and it's like, this ain't working," Klatt said. "Sherrone Moore makes the change and he goes to Jack Tuttle, and Tuttle goes in there and in his first three series, you're like, well, geez, did they just become a playoff team? It's like the Michigan of last year." It didn't end that way, of course. But it delivered promise for better second-half results, provided Tuttle can stay upright and ball-secure. — John Borton ❱ Head coach Sherrone Moore on Tuttle "I thought he came out and gave us a spark early, obvi- ously. Three straight drives, we had a touchdown, a field goal, and a touchdown. I think the players fed off that."