Michigan @ Utah preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 20, 2014 ) Utah 26, Michigan 10

Expectations are modest in head coach Jim Harbaugh’s first season, but Michigan expects a gradual return to greatness with the mercurial former quarterback at the helm. Harbaugh will get his first chance to lead his alma mater when the Wolverines visit Utah to open the 2015 campaign on Thursday.

Harbaugh was lured back from the NFL after leading the San Francisco 49ers to three NFC Championship games and is expected to do for Michigan what he did for Stanford – mold the team into a consistent Rose Bowl contender. Harbaugh has yet to officially announce his starting quarterback, though transfer Jake Rudock is the presumed favorite to win the job. Utah went into Michigan and put a 26-10 beating on the Wolverines last season and will be motivated to do the same after the noted football gurus at Popular Mechanics magazine caused a mini controversy by referring to the opener as a “cupcake game” for Michigan. The Utes begin the campaign outside the top-25 and are predicted to finish fifth in the Pac-12 South after losing some talent to the NFL, most notably linebacker Nate Orchard.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Utah -5.5

ABOUT MICHIGAN (2014: 5-7): Rudock or anyone else stepping under center for the Wolverines will need some help from the running attack in the opener, and the team is still waiting to see if Drake Johnson is ready to go after suffering a torn ACL against Ohio State last fall. "Drake is cleared, practicing and haven't decided whether he's going to play in this ballgame yet or not,” Harbaugh told reporters. “He's doing a fantastic job. He's in practice and an explosive football player.” Johnson did not get a carry against Utah last season but came alive down the stretch and ended up averaging six yards per carry.

ABOUT UTAH (2014: 9-4): The Utes are going with senior Travis Wilson, who is beginning his fourth season as the starting quarterback in coach Kyle Whittingham’s high-scoring attack. Wilson threw for 18 touchdowns and ran for five more in 2014 and will again lean hard on running back Devontae Booker, who is coming off a 1,512-yard, 10-TD campaign. “Devontae Booker will carry the ball as many times as it takes to get a win,” Whittingham told reporters.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Wolverines DT Bryan Mone (leg) could miss the entire season.

2. Booker ran for a season-low 34 yards on 11 carries at Michigan last season.

3. Harbaugh is 9-2 as a head coach in season openers, including 5-2 at the college level.

PREDICTION: Utah 35, Michigan 24