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Jack Tuttle is already winning over the fans in Bloomington. All it takes is three words.
“I hate Purdue.”
Tuttle, a former four-star prospect who transferred to Indiana from Utah in the offseason, spoke with reporters Thursday during the team’s media day. The quarterback talked about what he learned from his father when he decided to head for Bloomington.
Tuttle’s father was a walk-on kicker for the Hoosiers in the 1980s. And that’s when the quarterback started to develop his hatred for Purdue.
“I didn’t even know I was going to come here, and I hated Purdue, just for no reason,” Tuttle said, according to Jon Blau of the Herald Times. “He’s like ‘Ah, I hate Purdue,’ and I started to hate Purdue.”
IU freshman QB Jack Tuttle (a transfer from Utah) on what he learned from his dad, Jay, a walk-on kicker for IU in the '80s.
"I didn't even know I was going to come here, and I hated Purdue, just for no reason. He's like 'Ah, I hate Purdue,' and I started to hate Purdue." #iufb
— Jon Blau (@Jon_Blau) August 1, 2019
Hoosier fans can certainly appreciate that. And it’s the type of attitude Tom Allen wants from his team.
The Indiana-Purdue rivalry may not carry the same allure as The Game or the Iron Bowl, but it is one of college football’s longest-running rivalry matchups. The two teams have met 121 times, with Purdue owning a 74-41-6 advantage. The Boilermakers have also won the last two meetings.
Despite the lopsided all-time series record, the Old Oaken Bucket game has been pretty evenly played over the last 12 seasons. Both Indiana and Purdue have notched six victories since 2007.
Tuttle may be new to Bloomington, but he’s certainly not new to the rivalry game. He’ll be hoping to add a few “I” chains to the Old Oaken Bucket over the next four years.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB