This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
After two weeks of denying that Jim Harbaugh and his extravagantly hyped debut was having any effect on Utah, Kyle Whittingham was asked how glad he was to put Michigan behind him with a 24-17 season-opening victory.
"So glad you can't believe it. … It was wearing me out, all the hype," Whittingham said.
Turns out, they did notice.
And it didn't matter.
Two teams entered Rice-Eccles on Thursday night facing widespread questions about their passing attacks, and Utah, much more so than Michigan, left with answers.
Senior quarterback Travis Wilson went 24-for-33 for 208 yards and rushed 12 times for 53 more before the largest crowd in Rice-Eccles Stadium history at 47,825.
It's the eighth straight season-opening victory for the Utes and gives Utah a third straight win against the 11-time national champions — their second-straight against a debuting Michigan coach.
Wilson "did a nice job running the offense and having an impact on the game," Whittingham said. "We're past the point of being a game manager with Travis … and I thought he did a nice job and I thought Aaron Roderick did a nice job calling the game on offense."
Despite all the unknowns at Michigan — a hodgepodge of coaches who were elsewhere last season with a quarterback, Jake Rudock, who was officially named the starter when he took the field — Utah had them pegged pretty well, Whittingham said.
"The package we put together was almost spot on," he said.
Rudock's debut wasn't totally calamitous, but there are a few plays he'd surely like to have back.
Utah junior college transfer Cory Butler-Byrd, sophomore safety Marcus Williams and junior safety Justin Thomas all picked off Rudock throws, with Thomas going 55 yards for a game-clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Billed all offseason as a Heisman candidate, senior running back Devontae Booker did much of his damage through the air, catching seven passes for 55 yards while rushing 22 times for 69 yards and one score. True freshman Britain Covey added five receptions for 58 yards, as eight Utah receivers caught passes.
Wilson credited teammates for his poise. "I just felt comfortable," he said. "I had trust in the guys around me."
Buoyed by a second late hit penalty on Utah senior linebacker Gionni Paul, Michigan closed within a score when Rudock capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive with a touchdown pass in double coverage to sure-handed junior tight end Jake Butt.
But they fizzled out after Thomas' dramatic snag, when he read Rudock's eyes and was off to the races.
Wilson led what would up being the deciding drive in the third, deceiving seemingly the entire Wolverine defense on a keeper and waltzing 14 yards up the middle for what was then a 16-3 lead.
Harbaugh's assessment: "That's a real football team. It was real football."
The Utes went off-script offensively in the first half, with Booker struggling against the Wolverines' stout front seven and Wilson thriving in an efficient passing attack.
Exploiting the edges of Michigan's defense, Wilson completed 14 of 22 passes for 133 yards - his statline marred only by an end-of-half Hail Mary that was picked off by senior cornerback Jeremy Clark.
Wilson went 4-for-4 for 45 yards on Utah's first drive, a 63-yard jaunt that ended in a 30-yard Andy Phillips field goal. Early in the second, he doled out first career catches to true freshmen Covey and Tyrone Smith, and Booker capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a dive over the pile.
Michigan threatened - most notably when Rudock overthrew Jehu Chesson when he got 10 yards clear of Butler-Byrd near the end zone. But the Wolverines had to settle for a 29-yard field goal from Kenneth Allen, who finished 1-for-2. Phillips was 1-for-3, missing from 48 and 46 yards.
Both first-half picks involved apparent miscommunications between Michigan's receivers and Rudock, who missed them wildly as Butler-Byrd and Williams took advantage. They'd driven 54 yards on 10 plays before Butler-Byrd's sideline snag deprived them of any reward.
After leading the nation in sacks last season with 55, inspiring the nickname "Sack Lake City," the Utes finished sackless but regularly pressured Rudock and left him with a cleaner's bill for the Wolverine's new "classic look" road whites.
Utah senior tight end Evan Moeai was injured on the first drive after catching a short pass and did not return, putting no weight on his left leg as he left the field.
Twitter: @matthew_piper —
Storylines
• Junior college transfer Cory Butler-Byrd, sophomore safety Marcus Williams and junior safety Justin Thomas snag interceptions for Utah.
• Travis Wilson completes 24 of 33 passes, throwing for 208 yards and one interception while rushing 12 times for 53 yards and one touchdown.
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Inside
O Kragthorpe • The Utes' defense lives up to its fearsom preseason reputation. › C6
Monson • For all the questions asked of Utah, it had the answers. › C7
Notebook • Utes keep Fox Sports 1's "HarBus" off campus. › C7