Jim Harbaugh lost his Michigan debut to Utah, 24-17. Damien Dennis/The Pit
[dropcap]J[/dropcap]im Harbaugh knew it wasn’t going to be easy going when the season began.
The new Michigan head coach debuted – officially – Thursday night as the Wolverines battled Utah on the road but ultimately lost, 24-17.
“I was really pleased with the way the fellas fought,” Harbaugh told Michigan’s IMG after the game. “There’s a lot of good things (but) there are some things that we need improvement on.”
In the outing, fifth-year senior quarterback Jake Rudock was 27-for-43 on the night with two touchdowns and three interceptions. In 2014, Rudock had just five interceptions.
The turning point for Michigan came with just eight minutes remaining in the game when Rudock threw his final interception of the night.
De’Veon Smith failed to move the chains on second down situation, which led to Rudock taking the snap on third down and looking for a receiver. Justin Thomas for the Utes picked Rudock off and returned the ball 55 yards to extend Utah’s lead to 24-10.
“The third one, I thought the Utah nickel made a hell of a play,” Harbaugh said about the interception. “It was a gotta have it situation.”
Michigan wouldn’t go down without a fight however, as Rudock would connect with Amara Darboh for a 10-yard touchdown pass to cut into the deficit, 24-17. Unfortunately for the Wolverines, with about a minute left, hopes seemed dim that Michigan would leave Utah with a victory.
With 46 seconds left in the first half, Rudock connected with tight end Jake Butt for a 19-yard touchdown, heading into the half 17-10.
The Wolverines (0-1) will host Oregon State Saturday, September 12 in the home opener at Michigan Stadium.
