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If Jack Tuttle steps in as Indiana’s starting quarterback Saturday vs. Michigan State, it’s not as if he’ll take over at the wheel of a finely tuned automobile.
The Hoosiers’ offense is laboring behind a passing game that has yet to display the downfield, big-play ability of a season ago, a pedestrian running game and a red-zone efficiency rating that is middle of the road. It’s unlikely that Tuttle will be the lubricant that gets Indiana’s engine running smoothly.
Tuttle, who could start for the injured Michael Penix Jr., transferred to Indiana a couple years ago hoping he’d get a chance to become the Hoosiers’ every-week starter. He joined a deep QB room then, with veteran Peyton Ramsey and a young but talented Penix. Ramsey and Penix shared the starting job then — Penix had won the job in training camp, but an upper-body injury limited him during the second half of the year — with Tuttle sitting third on the depth chart. Then last season, the former Utah QB was beaten out, with Penix, as expected, again getting the call to be QB1. But when Penix tore his ACL against Maryland, Tuttle started the Hoosiers’ last 2 games, beating Wisconsin before losing to Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl.
And after Penix suffered a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder against Penn State Oct. 2, Tuttle came off the bench again, hitting on 6 of 12 passes for 77 yards and an interception in IU’s 24-0 loss in Happy Valley.
“I thought he gave us a spark, even Saturday (vs. PSU),” coach Tom Allen told media before the Hoosiers’ bye. “Absolute confidence in him, and I’ve always felt that way.”
Tuttle might get the call vs. the Spartans on Saturday, given that Penix is “week-to-week,” per Allen, as he rehabs from the left shoulder injury. If he does, it’ll be only his third start for the Hoosiers, but the scouting report is detailed. With the 6-4, 212-pounder under center, the Hoosiers operate more of a ball-control offense, with a higher percentage of passes near — or behind — the line of scrimmage. In his 3 games in 2020, Tuttle went 44-of-72 (61.1 percent) for 362 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. His yards-per-attempt average was only 5, compared to Penix’s 7.5. Their yards-per-completion were 13.3 for Penix compared to 8.2 for Tuttle.
But despite limitations on Indiana’s downfield offense with Tuttle, the quarterback showed he can win. He managed Indiana’s victory against Wisconsin last season, relying heavily upon IU’s defense and running game. The problem this season, however, is that neither Indiana’s defense nor its running game is operating the same as a year ago.
Frankly, nothing is.
The Hoosiers are 2-3, having lost all 3 of their games vs. ranked opponents. And 3 of their next 4 games are against teams in the top 10, starting with the 10th-ranked Spartans for IU’s Homecoming.
IU’s offensive issues are particularly maddening because the unit has many of the same players as a season ago, including 8 of 11 starters. Most of the big names returned, including Penix (although he was coming back from a knee injury), Big Ten Receiver of the Year Ty Fryfogle, tight end Peyton Hendershot and 80 percent of the offensive line. But offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan isn’t connecting with this group, as Indiana ranks 10th in the Big Ten in scoring (23.8), 7th in passing offense (221.4 yards per game) and 13th in rushing (122.2 yards per game).
The Hoosiers haven’t been as efficient in the red zone as they would like, scoring on 16 of 21 attempts (76.2 percent; 9th in the Big Ten) with only 11 touchdowns (52.4 percent, 8th in the conference).
A quarterback change is unlikely to be a big fix, but the Hoosiers might be forced to make the switch, given that Penix isn’t healthy. And so it might be on Tuttle to see if IU can get righted following the bye.
Kyle Charters, a familiar face at Gold & Black, covers Purdue, Indiana and college basketball for Saturday Tradition.