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Utah tops Michigan 24-17, spoiling Jim Harbaugh's debut
Utah made sure Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan head-coaching debut did not go as the faithful in Ann Arbor hoped.
Behind a stellar effort from senior quarterback Travis Wilson and a gritty defensive performance, the Utes held off the Wolverines 24-17 in front of a packed crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Utah used a balanced offensive attack to carve up the Michigan defense while the Utes’ D intercepted Michigan quarterback Jake Rudock three times – including a game-sealing pick six by Justin Thomas in the fourth quarter.
Harbaugh kept his starting quarterback decision tight-lipped all week, but he opted for Rudock, the graduate transfer from Iowa, over junior Shane Morris. And after Utah hit a field goal on its first possession, Rudock’s first drive as a Wolverine ended with an interception deep in Michigan territory – his first of two in the first quarter.
Meanwhile, Wilson and star running back Devontae Booker were able to eat up chunks of yardage to help the Utes jump out to a 10-3 halftime lead.
Michigan opened the second half with a missed 44-yard field goal, and Utah responded with a 10-play, 74-yard drive that ended with a Wilson 14-yard touchdown run.
Michigan then responded with a touchdown of its own on Rudock’s most impressive throw of the night – a 19-yard touchdown strike to tight end Jake Butt (8 catches, 93 yards) to cut the lead to 17-10.
The usually reliable Andy Phillips missed a field goal for Utah on its ensuing possession, but the defense bailed Phillips out when Rudock threw his third interception of the night as the Wolverines approach midfield looking to tie the game. This interception was returned 55 yards for a touchdown by nickel back Justin Thomas to put the game out of reach, 24-10.
Michigan was able to add another score on a Rudock 10-yard pass to Amara Darboh (8 catches, 101 yards) with under a minute to go, but Michigan’s last-ditch effort to tie the game – an onside kick – went out of bounds.
Coming into the game, one of the biggest questions for Michigan was its quarterback play. Rudock, who finished with 279 yards on 27-of-43 throwing, left a lot to be desired. Will Harbaugh give Morris a chance next week against Oregon State? It may be worth a shot.
On the other side, Utah certainly looked like a team that can cause some problems in an extremely deep Pac-12. Wilson has been plagued by turnovers and inconsistency in his career, but Thursday he certainly looked in control. He completed 24-of-33 passes for 208 yards and also added 53 yards on the ground.
Michigan’s defense was able to corral Booker (22 rushes, 69 yards, TD) for the most part, but he added seven catches for 55 yards out of the backfield. He should be able to get back on track in the rushing game next Friday at home against Utah State.
For more Utah news, visit Utezone.com.
For more Michigan news, visit TheWolverine.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
