Here’s why Cam Rising couldn’t play against Oklahoma State – Deseret News

As Cam Rising warmed up before Utah's main event at Oklahoma State, he had a lot of eyes on him.

During pregame warmups, everyone was focused on Rising, from the fans in the Boone Pickens Stadium crowd to members of the media and, most importantly, the Utah coaches.

Utah's veteran quarterback, recovering from a right ring finger injury suffered in the Utes' Week 2 win over Baylor, completed initial warmups with a glove on his throwing hand about 90 minutes before the game. He looked relatively good throwing the ball, even from distances of more than 40 yards, and took snaps in padded warmups from starting center Jaren Kump 40 minutes before kickoff.

Rising appeared to be on track to see its first action in six quarters, but during these final warmups, Utah's coaches didn't realize what to expect from Rising as his finger injury affected the speed he could put on the ball.

“The ball doesn’t have enough speed. “Plain and simple, he just wasn't able to turn the ball over the way he needed to and he just didn't have the quickness on the ball,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said.

Although Rising had been cleared to play by doctors Saturday as they huddled about 20 minutes before kickoff, the Utah coaching staff decided that a fully healthy Wilson would give the Utes the best chance of defeating Rising, who didn't have the ball his usual self could throw like that.

That says a lot about how much confidence this coaching staff has in Wilson. If this scenario had occurred last year, I believe Utah would have continued with Rising, even if its speed wasn't where it should be.

Rising had the most first-team snaps at the start of the week, including some from Wilson, but by midweek, when Rising's problems throwing the ball arose, the plan was changed to have Wilson take over the majority of the first-team reps Team.

“I gave Cam some time later in the week to see if we could help him feel better and then test him before the game,” Whittingham said.

When Rising failed those pregame tests, it fell on Wilson's shoulders — in the short term — to lead Utah in its biggest game yet, a crucial Big 12 opening game that could have implications for the conference title race.

In Utah's 22-19 win, the first ever in the Big 12 Conference, Wilson threw for 207 yards and a touchdown, completing 17 of 29 passes and being picked off twice.

There were downsides too – Utah had to complete more drives with touchdowns, Wilson had some missed throws and errant throws, and of course the two interceptions – but the positives outweighed the negatives, especially considering the situation he was put in.

The touchdown to tight end Brant Kuithe was a bright spot, and just like against Utah State, Wilson settled in in the second quarter, completing 9 of 10 passes during a stretch. He has demonstrated the ability to make high-end throws above his experience level, and despite the interceptions, Wilson never appeared unsettled at any point in the game.

That confidence and ability to shake off bad plays are extremely important intangibles.

“He has the it factor. For a quarterback, this is so crucial. You have to have the guy who has that “it” factor, who has the leadership and who the players really feel. They love playing for him. I mean, they have a lot of trust in him and he's fearless,” Whittingham said.

Wilson's best plays Saturday came on the ground, where he converted three third- or fourth-down attempts with his legs, including a 48-yard scramble on third-and-11 that showcased his quickness.

“He’s an excellent runner,” Whittingham said.

Despite leading just one touchdown drive, Wilson put the Utes in position to kick field goals and helped them dominate time of possession (42:26 to 17:34) on a day when the The Utes' mostly dominant defense was good enough for Utah to win.

In the future, however, more drives will have to end in the end zone.

“The production in the red zone is not enough. “We gave up points offensively again and that will catch up with us if we don’t correct that and get better in the red zone,” Whittingham said.

As the 4-0, No. 10 Utes host Arizona in a Big 12 After Dark matchup this Saturday, the question hanging over the program and fan base is once again relevant.

Who will start at quarterback on Saturday?

Rising has been cleared to play by the doctors and wants to play. If Rising is able to throw the ball well enough in practice and warmups, and Utah's coaches feel he's healed enough to play at the level they expect of him, Rising will get on the field return.

“I think we're past the point where you have to worry about getting injured again or something like that,” Whittingham said, pausing for a moment and then saying, “Hopefully.” Knock on wood.”

While Utah is obviously hoping to have Rising back under center this week, if not, Wilson has progressed enough that Whittingham feels comfortable having the true freshman in the starting lineup. Wilson has virtually the entire range of games at his disposal, and while Rising has more control over the playbook thanks to his experience, Whittingham said the game plan will be similar regardless of who starts.

Although the offensive game plan would likely be a little more pass-heavy if Rising plays, Whittingham and Ludwig Wilson have given Wilson plenty of opportunities to throw the ball in the last two games.

“There's not really as much of a difference as you would think when it comes to the play call or the game plan depending on who's playing quarterback. Well, that was three weeks ago, but this week it was very similar, not exactly, but very close to what Cam would have available,” Whittingham said.

Whether Wilson or Rising plays quarterback against Arizona on Saturday, the Utes just hope it isn't a mid-game decision again.

“Hopefully he’s further forward and if so then maybe the picture will clear up sooner. So I can’t give you an answer right now until we see him throw again,” Whittingham said.