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‘I just wanted to get back on the field’: QB Jack Tuttle talks about leading Indiana to win in first college start
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On November 28, the Indiana Hoosiers continued their impressive campaign by dispatching the Maryland Terrapins, 27-11, in Bloomington to move to 5-1.
There was some bad news, however, as star redshirt sophomore quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee in the third quarter.
Jack Tuttle, a fellow redshirt sophomore, replaced Penix in the Maryland game and was tasked with making his first collegiate start against one of the Big Ten Conference’s best teams, the Wisconsin Badgers, on the road on Saturday.
Completing 13-of-22 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns, which were the first scores of his collegiate career, Tuttle helped the Hoosiers grind out a 14-6 victory.
Senior wide receiver Whop Philyor was Tuttle’s top target, hauling in four passes for 47 yards and a touchdown, while redshirt junior tight end Peyton Hendershot recorded the other score, finishing with three catches for eight yards.
Placed at No. 12 in the December 1 College Football Playoff Rankings and now leading the league with six victories in 2020, Tuttle talked about what this win means for the program postgame.
Tuttle has a Sheehey-esque ability to be succinct but to the point. He was asked what this win says about IU:
"Indiana is tough. Plain and simple, we’re just tough. … Every single guy on this team fights, and will never stop fighting. That’s the message we sent today." #iufb
— Zach Osterman (@ZachOsterman) December 6, 2020
He briefly left the game in the fourth quarter to be medically evaluated after taking a hit to the head but returned in time to not miss a snap.
Jack Tuttle on what was going through his mind during injury checks in the second half: "I just wanted to get back on the field. That's really all, to be honest. I love my team and I wanted to get back on the field." #iufb
— Zach Osterman (@ZachOsterman) December 6, 2020
Indiana will round out their regular season at home against the Purdue Boilermakers (2-4) on December 12. Wisconsin (2-2), meanwhile, will head to Iowa City to clash with the Hawkeyes (5-2).
A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Rydquist has been contributing to Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition since 2019. He can be found on Twitter @TeddyRydquist.