Syndication: The Oklahoman
USATSI

Nothing has quite been the same at Utah since quarterback Cameron Rising tore his ACL against Penn State, New Year's Day of 2023. It feels like a lifetime ago, but the Utes were two-time reigning Pac-12 champions and 19-4 in games that Rising started and finished since he earned the starting quarterback job in 2021. In every way, this was a program set to cement itself as a college football power. 

After suffering yet another injury in 2024, a hand laceration, Rising returned to action for the Utes against Arizona State. His dismal performance was the worst-case scenario for the No. 16 Utes as their spot in the Big 12 title race and an automatic College Football Playoff berth is on life support after starting the year as preseason favorites. 

In a 27-19 loss to Arizona State, Rising looked like a shell of himself. The 25-year-old threw three interceptions, including a backbreaker as the Utes tried to tie the game. He completed only 43% of his passes, including 2-of-9 for 11 yards to start the game. Half of his completions were to either running backs or tight ends. 

Utah put together only one touchdown drive, which came with 3:19 left in the third quarter. Every other point came on field goals from kicker Cole Becker. Four plays after Utah's touchdown, Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo erased it with a 50-yard touchdown run. The Utes had zero counterpunch. After the game, coach Kyle Whittingham acknowledged that Rising is still not 100%. 

Rising's ACL injury after the 2022 season was a tough break for Whittingham and one of the top coaching staffs in college football, which had to piece together a QB platoon the entire 2023 season. At the same time, it's been two years. To be this far out from the Rose Bowl and have no other answers is unacceptable for a program of this stature. 

Granted, the latest Rising injury was insane. The veteran cut his hand while bizarrely trying to get rid of a ball while getting pushed out of bounds while up three touchdowns against Baylor. Rising apparently cut his hand badly on an equipment cart and needed stitches. As a vet who just saw his program suffer through the 2023 season in his absence, he needs to be smarter than that. 

When Rising went out, Utah turned to true freshman Isaac Wilson. In two Big 12 starts, Wilson completed 53.6% of his passes for two touchdowns and four interceptions. His two picks were a critical part of Utah's 23-10 loss against Arizona. The four-star recruit and brother of ex-BYU quarterback Zach Wilson has a bright future in college football. At the same time, it's unfair and even inexplicable that a true freshman was forced to carry the weight of Utah's expectations. 

Something similar happened last season when Rising missed the year. Former walk-on Bryson Barnes served as the primary starter, throwing 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Barnes went on to lose the starting job at Utah State to maligned Iowa transfer Spencer Petras. True freshman Nate Johnson also earned snaps. He now is a backup at Vanderbilt. Upperclassman Luke Bottari was a nonfactor. Underclassman Brandon Rose didn't even get a pass attempt. 

If Rising did not come back for another season, or if he was medically limited by his knee, what was the plan? Are we to believe that Big 12 favorite Utah would head into the year with a true freshman leading the way? Does the staff believe that Bottari or Rose are even playable? How can a program of this caliber head into such an important season with such little safety blanket? 

Here's the reality: If Utah had other answers at the quarterback position, they would not have played an injured Rising. Unfortunately, they have none. 

In fairness, Utah tried to add some depth in the form of former five-star quarterback Sam Huard, who transferred to Salt Lake City over the summer from Cal Poly. He threw for 2,205 yards and 18 touchdowns for the Mustangs in FCS, but has been a complete nonfactor and is yet to record a snap. Frankly, adding a quarterback in the post-spring period almost never leads to real success, especially at the power level. Given that Utah has likely invested a considerable amount of its NIL budget into Rising, adding a bona back backup at quarterback in the transfer portal was likely exceedingly difficult. 

Furthermore, when Rising stays healthy, he's one of the top quarterbacks in college football. In two seasons, Rising threw for nearly 5,500 yards, ran for nearly 1,000 yards and posted 58 touchdowns. As the program's best quarterback since Alex Smith, there's no magic button to replacing his production, even if the staff did everything right. 

But at this point, it has been 650 days since Rising suffered his devastating knee injury. There has been more than enough time to prepare. Instead, the Utes are about to fall all the way out of the AP Top 25 and into national obscurity. Worse, it happens right as hated rival BYU becomes a national darling for its undefeated start. 

Of course, no one is ever truly out in the Big 12. Only two undefeated teams remain and 10 teams have multiple losses, including Utah. Six programs have multiple Big 12 losses, including Utah, Oklahoma State and Kansas. Win out and a Big 12 title game berth is still possible. This is a championship program with a championship coach. They are capable. 

With an extra day of planning ahead of TCU next week, the staff needs to come up with a new plan for this season. If it centers on seventh-year senior Cameron Rising returning to form for the first time in two calendar years -- or getting any consistency from a quarterback room that has shown no answers -- it probably won't work.