Everything was great for Utah until it wasn’t.
As quarterback Cam Rising scrambled out of the pocket and flung the ball from his hands, a pursuing Treven Ma’ae shoved the seventh-year senior quarterback out of bounds. Water jugs toppled over. Green Gatorade cups went flying.
Most importantly — and agonizingly for Utes fans — Rising writhed in pain on the ground while holding his right hand on Baylor’s sideline.
With 1:55 remaining in the first half, Rising was then escorted to the locker room with a towel over his hand. He was replaced by freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson and later ruled out for the game.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Isaac Wilson (11) as the Utah Utes host the Baylor Bears, NCAA football in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.
Despite Rising’s injury, No. 11 Utah (2-0) held on for a 23-12 win over Baylor (1-1) in Salt Lake City.
And the Utes seemed confident after the game that their leader’s injury wasn’t too serious.
“On Cam, I can’t give you an answer right now on his availability,” Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said postgame. “I’ve just been told that it’s not real serious ... but I can’t tell you the exact description of what happened. He may be back this next week. We’ll see.”
Rising finished the game 8-for-14 with 92 passing yards and two touchdowns. Wilson struggled in his second in-game appearance, going 4-for-9 with 30 passing yards in Rising’s place.
The Utes’ defense dominated the Bears for four quarters, allowing 111 passing yards and 108 rushing yards en route to the win.
After being stymied on their first drive in the first quarter, the Utes scored in four plays during their second offensive possession. Rising and the offense drove 56 yards, capping it off with a 28-yard touch pass and score to senior wide receiver Money Parks.
The Utes didn’t stop there.
Following a sack and fumble forced by senior defensive end Connor O’Toole, Rising threw his second touchdown pass of the day to senior running back Micah Bernard 20 seconds later. Utah ended the first quarter with a 17-0 lead, holding Baylor’s offense to -17 rushing yards and Bears quarterback Dequan Finn to one completion for five yards.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes defensive end Van Fillinger (7) grabs onto Baylor Bears quarterback Dequan Finn (7) as the Utah Utes host the Baylor Bears, NCAA football in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.
In the second quarter, Utah took a 23-0 lead with 5:21 remaining until halftime. Senior defensive end Van Fillinger blocked a Baylor field goal attempt before it blooped into the hands of Tao Johnson, who returned it 77 yards for a touchdown.
After going scoreless on their first seven drives, the Bears finally got on board with a field goal before the end of the second quarter. Utah led 23-3 at halftime.
With Wilson under center, Utah’s offense struggled. The freshman quarterback was 3-of-6 with 13 passing yards by the end of the third quarter. Baylor’s offense capitalized as a result, bringing the game within a 23-12 margin on a 47-yard touchdown pass from Bears quarterback Dequan Finn. The Bears then attempted a two-point conversion but failed to score.
Utah held on in the fourth quarter, however.
Next, the Utes will take on Utah State at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14 in Logan.