1. Cam Rising can’t return soon enough
Utah football was able to get the job done without its starting quarterback in the season-opening win over Florida, but the cracks really started to show against Baylor this week. If Cam Rising isn’t back soon, this team could have a potentially great season derailed.
The struggles in the passing game this week were mighty. Bryson Barnes went 6-of-19 for 71 yards and an interception. Nate Johnson had a better day, going 6-of-7 for 82 yards, but it didn’t completely salvage things.
Fortunately for Utah, the rushing attack was extremely effective on Saturday. Ja’Quinden Jackson led the way with 129 yards on 19 carries, and as a team, Utah gained 224 yards and two scores on 47 rushes. Those two touchdowns came in the fourth quarter, as Utah finally put away the Bears.
Baylor hands Utah the win in Waco. Wow. pic.twitter.com/LuUF4NDhqu
— JWP Sports / CFBAlerts (@JWPSports) September 9, 2023
Baylor had its struggles, and Utah was able to take advantage of that with a one-dimensional attack on Saturday. They won’t be able to win solely on the ground against teams like UCLA, Oregon, Washington, and USC.
Utah is extremely fortunate that its schedule shook out in a way that gave them a reeling Baylor this week, but they desperately need Cam Rising back. Without an effective passing attack, they’ll struggle going forward.
The Utes get Weber State next week, but after that, they enter the Pac-12 slate. The conference is the best it’s been in years, and they’ll need to score a lot more points to compete.