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Utah football: 3 takeaways from nail-biting win over Baylor

By Jake Mitchell

Sep 9, 2023; Waco, Texas, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Nate Johnson (13) carries the ball against the Baylor Bears during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 9, 2023; Waco, Texas, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Nate Johnson (13) carries the ball against the Baylor Bears during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 31, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7), out with an injury warms his quarterback up at halftime against the Florida Gators at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 31, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7), out with an injury warms his quarterback up at halftime against the Florida Gators at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports /

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 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.

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