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Looking Back — Michigan Football Season Openers – 2015 Utah

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins

The fifth installment in this week’s series looking back at opening games takes us to 2015

After four years of Brady Hoke, Michigan desperately needed a change. After considerable speculation, Michigan introduced Jim Harbaugh as the new coach.

There was one challenge that made this opening day different than most. Michigan was starting on the road. The Wolverines were playing a Utah team coached by Kyle Whittingham, and beating Utah would be a tall order if the program was already in good shape.

Michigan enthusiasts flocked to Utah, prompting stories from local restaurant servers about the generous tips Michigan fans left. Harbaugh’s return to the Michigan sideline was a feel-good story for all; even opposing fans appreciated him.

Unfortunately, there were several problems. In particular, Michigan lacked an established quarterback. Harbaugh waited until game time before choosing Jake Rudock, who had just transferred from Iowa, as the starting quarterback. Rudock threw an early interception, but he had his moments. The real problem for Michigan was its offensive line. The line had long been a strong point for Michigan, but over the past 15 years, it had become a source of considerable problems. Michigan had some decent chances. Rudock threw a long pass for a wide-open Jehu Chesson that barely missed its target.

Michigan was within striking distance until Utah quarterback Travis Wilson kept the ball on a read option play and ran untouched into the end zone to give the Utes a 17-3 lead. But the Wolverines were still fighting, and when Utah was penalized on a late hit on Rudock, Michigan was given new life. Rudock capitalized on that when he connected with Jake Butt for a touchdown to pull Michigan within one score. Michigan was playing well and had momentum until Rudock threw a pick-six. The game was still competitive, but the mountain was much higher now. Utah then stopped Michigan on a fourth down run, leaving the Wolverines with little chance of victory. Rudock connected with Amara Darboh for a touchdown in the last minute to make the final score Utah 24, Michigan 17. The Wolverines had plenty of opportunities and would have won had they made one or two corrections.

Harbaugh eventually returned the Wolverines to national prominence. It just took a while.

Thanks to YouTube, Fox Sports, and YouTube poster JazzyUte for the broadcast of this game. As always, neither I nor anyone involved with this website owns anything. We do not profit from this blog post at all.

About Jeff Cummins

Jeff Cummins has written about football since 1998, including nine years with The Record of Hackensack, N.J. He frequently contributes feature stories to Touchdown Illustrated, an insert in the national college football game program, published by University Sports Publications, and he has also written the official pregame stories for the game programs of the Rose Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Gator Bowl, and the BCS National Championship game. He has written the preview story for the official program for the NHL Winter Classic at MIchigan Stadium, and numerous college basketball feature stories for College Hoops Illustrated, another game program insert published by University Sports Publications. In addition, he has written stories about theater, music, physical therapy, and newsletter marketing. He’s an avid Michigan football fan and long-time New York Jets season ticket holder, and he can be reached at jeffcummins@optonline.net.