Sherrone Moore, Michigan Roasted By CFB Fans After Washington Loss with Orji Benched

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore's decision to bench a starting quarterback for the second time this season wasn't enough to turn things around for the Wolverines on Saturday night.

The Wolverines lost 27-17 to Washington after failing to spark consistent offense behind either starter Alex Orji or backup Jack Tuttle.

Michigan's struggles to replace former starter J.J. McCarthy, which began with the benching of Davis Warren after Week 3, continued as the program fell to 4-2 on the season.

Orji was benched in the second quarter after his first three drives of the game ended in punts. He finished his night with 15 yards on 3-of-7 passing.

Some fans blamed Moore and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell for the structure of the Wolverines' first three failed drives.

Jack Tuttle stepped in during the second quarter and led the Wolverines to two touchdowns and a field goal on his first three drives of the game.

Tuttle began to struggle midway through the fourth quarter, when he turned over the ball for a Washington touchdown on the next possession.

With the ball back in Michigan's hands at their own 31-yard line and just over three minutes left to play, Tuttle's pass was picked off in an interception that ended the Wolverines' hopes of a comeback.

Tuttle finished out the loss with 98 yards on 10-of-18 passing for a touchdown and an interception.

Michigan is now off to a 4-2 start, including a 2-1 B1G record, in Moore's first season since taking over for longtime head coach Jim Harbaugh last spring.

The 2024 season is slated to get even more difficult for Moore and the Wolverines against future ranked Big Ten opponents. Conference play continues next Saturday with an away game against No. 24 Illinois and continues later this season with matchups against No. 6 Oregon, No. 23 Indiana and No. 3 Ohio State.