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Two years ago, when Jim Harbaugh was coming off a Super Bowl appearance in San Francisco and Devontae Booker was sitting out a season to complete his academic work at a California junior college, nobody would have imagined them converging Thursday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Utah's booking of Michigan for the 2015 season opener already was a significant event, but it grew into a major spectacle after Harbaugh became the Wolverines' coach this past winter. For a Utah program eager to promote a Heisman Trophy candidate, the timing is favorable.

The world will tune into Thursday's game because of Harbaugh. Everybody's lasting impression? Booker. That's the Utes' plan, anyway. Strip away everything else in the buildup to this game and Utah vs. Michigan is all about Booker running against the Wolverines' defense.

Michigan's hiring of Harbaugh was pure luck for Utah, which secured this home-and-home series in July 2012, when he was preparing for his second season as the San Francisco 49ers' coach. At the time, it was a nice scheduling breakthrough. Three years later, just because of Harbaugh's arrival at Michigan, it is an absolutely epic event — and a showcase opportunity for Booker, after his 1,512-yard season in 2014 included 34 yards against the Wolverines on 11 carries.

During the Utes' weekly news conference, Booker absorbed those numbers and kept churning. "Just going against 'em this year, knowing I'm going to be the main guy, it's going to be good for me," he said.

I'll just say the memories of the Utes' struggles in running the ball against Michigan last September offer Booker a chance to show how far he has come. In the third game of the season, when Booker was sharing the job with Bubba Poole (now a receiver), Utah's tailbacks teemed for 74 yards on 20 carries. Take away Poole's 24-yard run and the totals are 50 yards on 19 attempts.

Utah scored one offensive touchdown in a lightning-delayed 26-10 victory, even with Travis Wilson and Kendal Thompson passing for 205 yards. So if Booker has a big night against Michigan, his production will be very meaningful — and magnified, amid the hype about Harbaugh.

Michigan's defense appears comparable to the 2014 USC group that made Booker work hard for 102 yards on 26 carries in October. Those numbers are good benchmarks for Thursday. Anything more than 100 yards would become an endorsement of Booker and the Ute offensive line.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham spoke this week of how well his team matched up physically with Michigan last year, but he's a defensive guy. The Utes rushed for 81 yards, with sacks subtracted, so his recollection of standing "toe-to-toe" with the Wolverines was one-sided. The likely difference this time is that with more carries, "I get much better," Booker said. "It takes me probably a couple carries to get in a groove, but after that, I'm just heating up throughout the rest of the game."

It would help if Wilson and his receivers can get into an early rhythm, diverting Michigan's focus from Booker. Regardless, he'll have to create some of his yards, as he has a knack of doing.

This is a big moment for Utah's football program, even with a full Pac-12 schedule to come in 2015. Michigan is the only opponent from another Power 5 conference scheduled to visit Rice-Eccles Stadium until Baylor comes in 2024.

So here we go, with Booker vs. a big-boy defense.

"They definitely have a good front seven, and they have some talented guys," Wilson said, "but Booker's been working really hard this offseason and he's proven to be a really good back, so I see him having a big game."

That's precisely what the Utes hope all of those Harbaugh-centric viewers will see — and remember.

Twitter: @tribkurt —

Utah's home openers this decade

2010 • Utah 27, Pittsburgh 24 (OT)

2011 • Utah 27, Montana St. 10

2012 • Utah 41, N. Colorado 0

2013 • Utah 30, Utah State 26

2014 • Utah 56, Idaho State 14

2015 • Utah vs. Michigan