Michigan Football: Four Utes to Watch Against the Wolverines

Dec 20, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Travis Wilson (7) rushes for a touchdown against the Colorado State Rams during the first half of the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Travis Wilson (QB)

Travis Wilson isn’t the biggest threat the Utah offense will have to offer Michigan on Thursday night, but he’s liable to be a game-changer when he’s able to flip the switch.

Part of the criticism for Wilson last season was inconsistency. (Michigan fans might know a thing or two about inconsistency from the quarterback position.) You can basically break down his season into three parts.

• First 3 games — 66% completion rate, 16.3 yards/completion, 7 TD, 0 INT
• Next 5 games — 51% completion rate, 8.4 yards/completion, 2 TD, 0 INT
• Last 5 games — 66% completion rate, 11.2 yards/completion, 9 TD, 5 INT

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Wilson took a frightening fall but came back to lead Utah to a convincing road victory over the Wolverines. He finished the day 14 of 20 passing for 172 yards and one touchdown. He led an efficient Utes attack that didn’t feature any standouts. In fact, Utah’s top rusher, Bubba Poole, only managed 40 yards on nine carries and no scores.

So which Travis Wilson will Michigan see? If it’s the same player who showed up in Utah’s first three games, that’s a problem. No matter what, though, Wilson proved last season he can be trusted with the ball in his hands. Five interceptions over 13 games is a great stat.

Next: Kenneth Scott