‘Don’t let this break our team’

SEATTLE — Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia looks back at Michigan football in Week 6 and its 27-17 loss to Washington as the Wolverines reach the halfway point of their season and head into their first of two bye weeks.

Next up for the Wolverines: No. 23 Fighting Illini

Matchup: No. 21 Michigan (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) at No. 23 Illinois (4-1, 1-1).

Kickoff: Time TBA Oct. 19; Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois.

TV/radio: TV TBA; WXYT-FM (97.1).

Tony Garcia’s three things we learned

RAINER SABIN:At season’s midpoint, Michigan football looks unsettled. That’s troubling

Tuttle time: The quarterback carousel has landed on Jack Tuttle. He had his moments Saturday, good and bad, capped by his final five drives going three-and-out, three-and-out, fumble, interception and end of game. But Tuttle, 25, looked every bit the part of a quarterback in his seventh year of college. He navigated the pocket mostly well, worked through his progressions more than Davis Warren (and far more than Alex Orji) and kept his eyes downfield to create a competent passing attack. When he took over for Orji, each of U-M’s first three possessions went at least seven plays and 55 yards, en route to 17 straight points.

“The first three drives, that’s really who we are,” Tuttle said of the scoring drives he led. “In the back half, we just missed some opportunities. Me personally, I’ve gotta be better at protecting the ball. Can’t fumble, can’t do that.”

Tuttle’s final stats — 10-for-18 for 98 yards, one touchdown and one interception — were similar to Orji’s the previous week (10-for-18 for 86 yards, one score and one interception), but Tuttle looked more competent, thanks to big plays like his perfect 22-yard pass over the deep middle to Amorion Walker, his touch pass on a 16-yard swing route to Semaj Morgan and his check-down to Donovan Edwards for a gain of 15. Michigan’s offense couldn’t stop turning the ball over under Warren and was one-dimensional (or no-dimensional) under Orji, desperately reliant on the run game. In Tuttle, U-M appears to have the player it hoped would win the job outright when J.J. McCarthy left for the NFL after last season.

“He brought us a spark,” Edwards said. “I loved before he went in the game, he told everybody, ‘Listen to me, look at me.’ Everybody gave him their eyes. He has great leadership abilities and capabilities. I’m grateful that he got out there and was able to show what he can do.”

FREE FALL:Wolverines plummet in polls after Week 6 loss to Washington

Pass defense a major issue: For all the flak the passing offense has drawn, perhaps the pass defense should take its share of the blame. Michigan now ranks No. 114 in the nation in passing yards allowed per game (259.8) after giving up a season-high 315 Saturday. Injuries have been costly — from Rod Moore (ACL) to depth pieces such as Ja’Den McBurrows, Jaden Mangham, Aamir Hall and Micah Pollard — but young pieces Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry are healthy and each was torched by the Huskies.

Hill gave up seven completions on nine targets, for 89 yards, as Washington QB Will Rogers had a 144.9 NFL passer rating when targeting the sophomore, according to Pro Football Focus. Berry, meanwhile, also allowed seven completions on nine targets, for a total of 92 yards. Even without holding a 37-yard trick play against him, he allowed 91 yards after the catch, in large part because of a pair of missed tackles.

SABIN:At season’s midpoint, Michigan football looks unsettled. That’s troubling

Makari Paige also allowed a 39 yard completion as Michigan allowed nine pass plays of at least 15 yards and three plays of at least 35 yards.

“We’ve just got to do a better job of closing the space playing fundamentals. That’s the biggest thing,” head coach Sherrone Moore said. “If we’re giving up short passes, we’ve got to clean up the tackles in the space. They are athletic in space, but we’ve got to do a better job of rallying to the ball. When we do that, we’re a pretty good defense.”

Halfway home: The Wolverines are still ranked, but their vibes feel much lower than that of a team still pushing for a fourth consecutive berth in the College Football Playoff.

“This game doesn’t define us, we control our own destiny,” defensive tackle Mason Graham said. “Win the rest of the games on our schedule and we’re going to be in a good place. So staying together is the big thing, don’t let this break our team apart and spiral into something that this team shouldn’t be. Looking forward to the next opportunity, take this bye week and get back to business.”

‘HE’S GIVING US THE BEST CHANCE’:Michigan football, QB Jack Tuttle hope 3rd time hits

The bye week comes at an ideal time, with an additional week to rest and get healthy and additional practices to work Tuttle into the fold and come up with a new plan vs. Illinois. The mood has changed multiple times over throughout the season and now, as Graham said, it’s simply about getting back in the win column. Opponents such as No. 23 Illinois and No. 20 Indiana look much tougher than initially believed, the Wolverines still have games against No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Oregon. Even Michigan State, for its struggles, doesn’t feel like a guarantee.

Outside of the first half against USC, Michigan hasn’t impressed in back-to-back quarters this season. The defense doesn’t get off the field enough on third down, the offense doesn’t have balance and while the field goal kicking has been sharp, the punt game has not. It’s time for a deep breath before the second half of an uninspiring first season so far under Moore.