Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore confirmed multiple times on Monday that seventh-year senior Jack Tuttle will start at quarterback on Saturday afternoon when the Wolverines take on Illinois in Champaign.
It's well known that Tuttle is the team's third starting quarterback of the season after Davis Warren and Alex Orji failed to make a positive impact.
On Monday night, during his weekly appearance on the 'Inside Michigan Football' radio show, Moore discussed how the offense changes with Tuttle under center as opposed to Orji, who started the team's three most recent games.
"You built the whole plane around Alex [Orji] and his skill set and what he does great, and now that you have Tuttle, he's a little, obviously a different skill set, different things he could do. He could still run, but do you want to run him a lot? Those things are different."
Tuttle showed flashes with his legs in last week's loss to Washington, but his athleticism has a limit, and Moore's concerns about running the veteran too much are valid.
But Moore is most excited about the passing game having an opportunity to evolve with Tuttle as the signal caller. In Orji's two full games against USC and Minnesota, the quarterback attempted just 10 passes beyond the line of scrimmage.
During limited action against Washington, Tuttle attempted five passes beyond 10 yards.
"Throwing the ball different places, different areas of the field, how you can attack the field are different because you've got experience, and he's done it. So, really excited to watch this offense grow with him at the helm."
Tuttle's experience is also something Moore noted as a key factor in the trust the team has in the seventh-year senior heading into the second half of the season.
"Obviously, the experience is No. 1 because he's done it at a high level in different places and played in the big games, played in the away games, played in those atmospheres, so I think that's huge. But it also provides you a mentor to the younger guys that's done it. And from a playing experience and ability, he's got all the tools from a throwing ability, and ready to see him put that to work."
Orji, though, won't be completely disregarded, Moore said on 'Inside Michigan Football' Monday night with Jon Jansen. When asked if Orji will still see the field intermittently, Moore was confident he will.
"Yeah, I think so. I think we'll still have some doses of him in there, and we've got some cool little packages. So excited to put those on display."
Saturday's game against Illinois will mark Tuttle's sixth start of his college career.
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