Harbaugh hype dominates Michigan-Utah opener

Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY

After eight months of living in the spotlight as college football’s latest rock star, Jim Harbaugh is ready to move past the hype and get gritty on the football field.

Michigan travels to Utah tonight for its season opener, a game that has to some degree, been overshadowed by the hype surrounding Harbaugh’s return to the college ranks. Not that all the interesting stuff will be on the sideline.

Both teams opened fall camp with questions about their quarterbacks and only one has given fans a definitive answer.

Harbaugh refused to publicly name a starter, but says the players know who it is. Junior Shane Morris is the lone QB to return to Michigan’s roster with starting experience — two games. Senior Jake Rudock transferred from Iowa with 25 starts under his belt. He threw for 2,436 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2014.

“I want both of them going into this game with the mindset that they’re one play away or they’re starting,” Harbaugh said. “It’s the mindset I always want our quarterback and backup quarterback going into the game with.

“If (keeping Utah in the dark) is a byproduct of it, we’ll take that as well.”

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham had a different issue. Senior Travis Wilson is a four-year starter who has struggled with consistency throughout his career. He lost the job twice in 2014, but still had an edge on senior Kendal Thompson, who replaced Wilson last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

Whittingham said the job was Wilson’s to lose at the beginning of camp and there was never an indication that he was losing it. The Utes made it official Monday.

Both teams are expected to roll out run-heavy offenses that don’t require the quarterback to win the game.

Harbaugh was weaned on physical, run-first offenses at Michigan in the 80’s and had a similar philosophy as coach at San Diego, Stanford and with the San Francisco 49ers. Utah running back Devontae Booker was first-team All-Pac-12 in 2014 and Whittingham has said they’ll run Booker as much as he can handle.