Tag: Rising

Sep 7, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) and running back Micah Bernard (2) celebrate a touchdown against the Baylor Bears during the first quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Report: Utah QB Cameron Rising (finger) unlikely to play vs. Utah State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Utah star quarterback Cameron Rising is unlikely to play Saturday against host Utah State due to a finger injury on his throwing hand, the Action Network reported Thursday.

Rising injured the finger on his right hand during the Utes’ 23-12 victory over Baylor last Saturday. He was pushed into coolers just off the sideline in the second quarter and later returned to the bench area with two fingers taped together and wearing street clothes.

Utah coach Kyle Whittington hasn’t formally ruled out Rising. He termed his injury as “not real serious.”

The report indicated Rising is expected back for Utah’s road game against Oklahoma State on Sept. 21.

Freshman Isaac Wilson, the younger brother of Denver Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson, will start for the No. 12 Utes (2-0) if Rising can’t go.

Wilson completed 4 of 9 passes for 30 yards against Baylor for the Utes, who were scoreless in the second half.

“I have to prepare the same every week, whether I’m the first, second or third string,” Wilson said earlier this week. “Just gotta prepare. I could have prepared a little better last game. I felt like I did good, but there’s always more to improve on.”

Rising has completed 18 of 29 passes for 346 yards and seven touchdowns in less than four quarters of action this season.

Rising, 25, missed all of last season after tearing multiple ligaments and meniscus cartilage in his left knee during a loss to Penn State in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 2, 2023.

He played his first game in nearly 20 months on Aug. 29 against Southern Utah and tossed a career-best five touchdown passes in one half of action before leaving the 49-0 victory. Rising wore a bulky brace on the left knee to protect it.

Whittingham said Brandon Rose will back up Wilson if the latter starts against the Aggies. Rose, a third-year sophomore, made his first college appearance late in the Southern Utah game. He didn’t attempt a pass and gained 8 yards on one carry.

–Field Level Media

Sep 9, 2023; Waco, Texas, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Nate Johnson (13) carries the ball for a 11-yard touchdown against the Baylor Bears during the second half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports

Utah QB Nate Johnson to start if Cam Rising can’t go

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Freshman quarterback Nate Johnson will start for No. 12 Utah against visiting Weber State this Saturday if Cam Rising remains sidelined.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham confirmed his plan Monday for the Utes (2-0), who are coming off victories against Florida and Baylor.

Johnson was instrumental to Utah’s success Saturday at Baylor, rescuing a struggling offense with two late drives to clinch a 20-13 win in Waco, Texas.

“Based on the whole body of work we’ve seen, we feel Nate is deserving of the shot and he’ll be the starter if Cam’s not available,” Whittingham said.

Johnson rallied Utah with a rushing touchdown to tie the game and a late TD drive to secure the victory.

“We really couldn’t get anything going so to speak offensively until the last stages of the game,” Whittingham said.

“That spark occurred in the last two minutes, well, actually before that, about 11 minutes to go in the game we took over, made the decision to put Nate Johnson in and give him the opportunity to show what he can do, you know, without any limitations the entire drive and he did a great job.”

Johnson hit 6 of 7 passes for 82 yards and rushed 11 times for 32 yards. Starter Bryson Barnes finished 6-of-19 passing for 71 yards with one interception.

“He was very poised on that last drive,” Whittingham said of Johnson. “I mean he made some outstanding decisions and made some great plays in that fourth quarter.”

Whittingham said Rising, who injured his knee in January’s Rose Bowl, is practicing without limitations but has not been cleared.

Utah opens its Pac-12 schedule on Sept. 23 at home against No. 24 UCLA.

–Field Level Media

Jan 2, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) warms up before the game between the Utah Utes and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Utah QB Cam Rising returning for ’23 season

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Utah quarterback Cam Rising plans to play for the Utes in 2023 rather than jump to the NFL.

Rising, who will be a sixth-year senior, led Utah to back-to-back Pac-12 championships and a Rose Bowl appearance. Rising left the Rose Bowl loss to Penn State in the third quarter, citing a left knee issue that he dealt with for the final two months of the season.

Rising shared a 40-second video via social media to announce his plans to return to Utah.

“Bad Moon is back,” he said.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham said after the Rose Bowl that Rising’s knee injury would not be something he recover from quickly.

“It looks like it could be something that takes a while to recover from. That’s not positive right now. It breaks my heart,” Whittingham said. “He’s such a warrior and a fierce competitor. He’ll be back, I can promise you that, from the injury. Hopefully he’ll be back with us.”

Rising is 19-6 at Utah, bouncing back from a season-ending shoulder injury in the 2020 opener to lead the Utes to consecutive conference titles.

–Field Level Media

Jan 2, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) walks with assistance off the field in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions of the 109th Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Utah’s Cameron Rising exits 2nd straight Rose Bowl due to injury

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Utah quarterback Cameron Rising departed the Rose Bowl game on Monday with a left knee injury sustained in the third quarter at Pasadena, Calif.

Rising was injured while scrambling 9 yards for a first down against Penn State with 8:31 left in the period. He was examined in the tent and then headed to the locker room for treatment.

Rising returned to the sideline out of uniform with about eight minutes to play in the game. He was wearing a bulky knee brace under his sweatpants.

Rising completed 8 of 21 passes for 95 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He rushed for 56 yards on 9 attempts.

It marked the second straight Rose Bowl in which Rising was knocked out of the contest with an injury. He sustained a head injury in the fourth quarter of the Utes’ 48-45 loss to Ohio State in last year’s game.

Bryson Barnes replaced Rising, just as he did in last year’s Rose Bowl.

–Field Level Media

Oct 23, 2021; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham looks onto the field during the first half against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Cameron Rising helps No. 24 Utah hold off Arizona

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cameron Rising threw for 294 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, and T.J. Pledger scored a late touchdown as No. 24 Utah held off Arizona 38-29 on Saturday in Pac-12 play at Tucson, Ariz.

Arizona (1-9, 1-6 Pac-12) scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to get within 31-29 before Utah (7-3, 6-1) answered with a 15-play, 75-yard drive, capped by Pledger’s 2-yard run with 2:10 left to make it a two-score game after the extra point.

Rising completed 19 of 30 passes, including two touchdowns. He opened the scoring with an 11-yard run nearly five minutes into the game.

Arizona, which ended a 20-game losing streak last week by beating Cal 10-3, closed within 31-23 with 11:31 to go on Tyler Loop’s 22-yard field goal attempt. After forcing a three-and-out, the Wildcats blocked a Utah punt, with Rhedi Short recovering and scoring on a 3-yard return. The two-point conversion run failed.

On the ensuing drive, Utah converted a fourth-and-1 at the Arizona 42-yard line en route to the game-sealing score.

Utah, which began the day with a one-game lead and the head-to-head tiebreaker over Arizona State in the Pac-12 South, played without leading rusher Tavion Thomas, who had rushed for four touchdowns in each of the previous two games. He sat for what was described as a “precaution.”

Pledger started and carried 25 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns.

Arizona quarterback Will Plummer completed 18 of 32 throws for 219 yards and one touchdown. He ended up as the team’s leading rusher with 50 yards, most coming on a 43-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

Utah took a 7-0 lead after the first possession of the game, but the Wildcats stormed back with back-to-back touchdown drives to take a 14-7 lead after the first quarter.

The Utes tied the game on the first play of the second quarter on a 15-yard rush by Pledger, and that’s how the score remained until Arizona’s Lucas Havrisik tied the school record with a 57-yard field goal with 1:24 to go before halftime.

That was enough time for Utah, which drove 75 yards in nine plays, capped by a 2-yard pass from Rising to Brant Kuithe with two seconds left for a 21-17 lead.

–Field Level Media