Jack Tuttle Fights Through Separated Shoulder in Outback Bowl Loss to Ole Miss

Jack Tuttle had a separation in his throwing shoulder for most of the game against Ole Miss on Saturday. The Hoosier quarterback didn't use it as an excuse, though.

Dylan Wallace | Jan 2, 2021

TAMPA, Fla. — Jack Tuttle can't remember exactly when it happened, but the pain began somewhere in the first half of Indiana's 26-20 loss to Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl.

After certain throws, Tuttle would start grabbing his right shoulder. When he would go to the sideline after a drive, Tuttle would let his right arm dangle as he jogged off.

Tuttle went back to the locker room a few minutes before the first half ended. Backup quarterback Dexter Williams began warming up on the sideline, but Indiana's offense didn't get the ball for the rest of the half.

Indiana got the ball to start the second half, and Tuttle remained at quarterback for the final 30 minutes. After the game, head coach Tom Allen revealed Tuttle had a separation in his right shoulder, which is his throwing shoulder.

"I thought he was a warrior today. He played through some serious pain," Allen said. "He just had to suck it up. It did affect some of his throws, but I thought he competed his tail off."

Despite the separation, Tuttle played fearless in the second half. He would take an option run by himself and dive for extra yardage. He threw for 117 yards in the second half and quarterbacked an Indiana comeback to tie things up with 5:58 to go.

Tuttle said the pain was constant, but it didn't stop him from playing for his teammates.

"It sucked," Tuttle said. "But it was for my team. I gotta find a way to get the job done. I love them, and we're gonna come back stronger."

Running back Stevie Scott saw one of Tuttle's throws come up short, and he asked him if anything was wrong, and Tuttle said his shoulder was hurting him.

Scott didn't find out until after the game that Tuttle's shoulder was separated.

"For him to just stay in and still try to get the job done and be a leader and be our starting quarterback, it just shows he's very strong and mentally tough," Scott said. "I really appreciate Jack for everything he's done this season. Stepping up, especially with Mike (Penix) going down, and him just trying to be that great guy he is and being a leader."

Indiana linebacker Micah McFadden already knew Tuttle was tough, but Saturday's game just proved that belief even more.

"He's a tough son of a gun for sure," McFadden said. "That guy is a baller."

But Tuttle refused to use the pain as an excuse.

He threw the ball 45 times in the game. Since he doesn't remember when he hurt his shoulder, it's hard to say how many of those throws were in pain. But in the second half alone, Tuttle threw it 23 times, so at least half of his throws were with the separation.

Tuttle finished the game throwing 26-for-45 with 201 yards passing, zero touchdowns and one interception. He also carried it nine times for 29 yards, which was second to Stevie Scott's 99 yards on the ground.

Despite the injury, Tuttle and the Hoosiers had a chance on the final possession to go win the game. On one play, Tuttle had the option to hand it off to Scott or throw a quick screen to Whop Philyor, who had an Indiana and Outback Bowl record 18 catches on the day. Tuttle elected to throw to Philyor, but the play got blown up for a 2-yard loss, and Allen said after the game he thought Tuttle should've handed it off to Scott.

On the next play, Tuttle was sacked for a loss of six, which brought up 3rd and 18 on the Ole Miss 41. The Hoosiers couldn't convert on third or fourth down, ultimately ending the game.

"I tried to do a little too much, I should've thrown the ball away," Tuttle said on the sack. "On the fourth down, I had to give somebody a chance and I was running out of time. Just didn't work out."

When looking back at the game, there was a lot Indiana struggled with offensively, but Tuttle kept going back to not making any excuses about his injury or the fact Indiana hadn't played in a month prior to this game.

"Woulda, coulda, shoulda, right?" Tuttle said. "Just got to be better, improve and grow from it."

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