The biggest question surrounding Jim Harbaugh’s coaching debut at his alma mater is which quarterback will lead the Michigan Wolverines against the Utah Utes, but don’t expect an answer until Thursday night.
According to MLive’s Nick Baumgardner, despite the depth chart not designating a starter, Harbaugh has told Jake Rudock and Shane Morris who won the competition. Harbaugh said:
“We know who’s going to start, we know who’s going to go in second or who is going to go in next. We want them both to prepare like they’re going to be the starter. I don’t know how to make it any more clear than that.”
Harbaugh added that not allowing Michigan’s opponent to focus on specifically preparing for either Rudock or Morris could be a benefit of the secrecy. He said:
“If (keeping Utah guessing) is another positive or byproduct of it, then we’ll take that as well.”
Rudock, who transferred to Michigan after starting a majority of the 2013 and 2014 campaigns for the Iowa Hawkeyes, is presumed to be the favorite. Last year, Rudock tallied 2,436 yards and 16 touchdowns, throwing only five interceptions in 345 attempts.
Morris, on the other hand, hasn’t performed well through two seasons scattered appearances. The left-hander has thrown 87 passes, managing a meager 49.4 completion percentage, zero touchdowns and five interceptions.
Though the smart choice is Rudock, admittedly, that’s merely an educated guess.
And whether it’s an analyst, a fan or the Utah coaching staff coming to that conclusion, Harbaugh doesn’t want it any other way.