Utah Football: 3 bold predictions for Friday night clash at Oregon State

3. No Cam Rising, no problem for Utah football

It’s the $64 question on the minds of college football fans across the country: is Cam Rising playing today?

Luckily for Utah football fans, the issue has been moot. Backup quarterback Nate Johnson has played some great football this season, despite registering just one pass attempt in his college football career prior to taking over as the starter for Kyle Whittingham for the ever-recovering Cam Rising.

The Clovis, Calif., native has shown great poise relative to his in-game inexperience. He’s taken care of the football — zero picks thus far — despite enduring six sacks and staring down the barrel of an SEC defense of a now-ranked Florida Gators team and a then-ranked No. 22 UCLA Bruins team.

Johnson has used his athleticism to his advantage, registering 47 carries for 150 yards and three rushing touchdowns while completing 63 percent of his pass attempts. Perhaps he has his father to thank for that, who played basketball for Oklahoma and Utah State in the early 1980s.

If Rising is deemed healthy enough to compete against the Beavers, he still might be fairly rusty, having not played since Jan. 2 against Penn State in the Rose Bowl. However, Johnson has proven himself more than capable. Even though he’s had to endure a little on-the-job training, Johnson has shown he can deliver results and shepherd the Utes to a win.