During warmups, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh took a good chunk of the quarterback snaps during an early set of drills.
It’s only fitting that the former Michigan quarterback and San Francisco 49ers head coach would be the center of attention one last time before kickoff. The national media storm that has followed Harbaugh since he took the head coaching job at his alma mater last December has largely overshadowed the rebuilding job he faces at one of college football’s most storied programs.
The deficiencies that led to a 5-7 record last season were on display Thursday night in a 24-17 loss to the University of Utah in front of a record-breaking crowd at Rice Eccles Stadium. Questions along the offensive line, the lack of an elite pass rusher and a stable of unspectacular running backs didn’t go away with the new coach.
With all of the attention devoted to Harbaugh, including a “Khaki Cam” following his every move during the game for Fox Sports’ online stream, it’s possible some people forgot the Utes, coming off a 9-4 campaign in 2014, were the better team.
Tech magazine Popular Mechanics certainly seemed to when publishing a September calendar that referred to the Utes as a “cupcake” opponent.
The hype surrounding Harbaugh and the Popular Mechanics calendar was more bulletin board material for Utah, which defeated Michigan 26-10 in Ann Arbor last year.
After all the talk in the arduously long offseason, the atmosphere in Rice Eccles Stadium was electric and tense. For Utah’s opening drive, nearly every one of the 47,825 fans in attendance stood — and continued to rise from their seats throughout the game.
Utah and Michigan have been an interesting matchup in the recent home-and-home series because their strengths align. Both defenses were stout against the run, with Michigan averaging a putrid 2.6 yards per carry and Utah’s longshot Heisman hopeful, running back Devontae Booker, mustering only 69 yards on 22 carries.
In fact, neither team registered many explosive plays on offense — Michigan wide receiver Amara Darboh’s 28-yard reception was the longest play of the game.
Utah’s separation in the game came from an unlikely source: much-maligned senior quarterback Travis Wilson. Wilson didn’t throw any touchdowns and recorded a meaningless interception on a Hail Mary pass to end the first half but protected the ball and used timely runs to pick up critical yards, including a 14-yard touchdown run that put the Utes up 17-3 in the third quarter.
While Wilson avoided mistakes and made enough plays to win, Michigan’s senior quarterback Jake Rudock cost the Wolverines the game.
A graduate transfer from Iowa, Rudock threw only five interceptions in 2014 for the Hawkeyes. He threw three Thursday night, including a back-breaking pick-six in the fourth quarter after Michigan had cut the lead to 17-10.
Advertised as a game-manager quarterback who was quick to check down but protected the ball, Rudock showed poor accuracy on his deep throws in the game. In the first quarter, Rudock overthrew junior receiver Jehu Chesson, who had run past the defense and was wide open in the endzone.
He missed another deep throw that was guaranteed good yardage, if not a touchdown, later in the game but continued to check down to receivers, hinting at the concerns about his arm strength.
After a failed fourth-down run by Michigan running back De’Veon Smith late in the fourth quarter with the Wolverines down 24-10, fans clad in maize and blue began to slowly file out of the stadium.
The Utes celebrated their win with cupcakes and remain hungry for real success in the Pac-12, after going only 5-4 in conference last year. A win against Michigan still looks nice on a team’s resume, though the Wolverines join Texas and several other major teams still chasing past success.
Even at only 12 games, there’s a lot of football to be played this year — with the Utes playing in one of the toughest divisions in college football and Michigan looking to improve and steal a win over its rivals Michigan State and Ohio State.
With Harbaugh’s hotly anticipated return to college football spoiled by the Utes, fans on both sides could celebrate the end of talk and the return of football.
Steve Howe is a crime reporter for the Tooele Transcript Bulletin. Send comments to showe@tooeletranscript.com