Kyle Whittingham won’t say when quarterback Cam Rising will be back on the field.
But the Utah football coach says the Utes’ leader desperately wants to get there.
“All I can say is Cam Rising wants to play worse than anybody,” Whittingham said on Tuesday. “When he’s able to, he will. And, it’s not like he’s been able to play and not go. That’s not the case.”
For nearly four weeks the seventh-year quarterback has been out of the lineup with a right hand injury he suffered against Baylor on Sept. 7.
Each week since then Rising has been a game-time decision with a chance to play — and it’s left many fans feeling like they’re stuck back in 2023.
Rising, seemingly, was a “game-time decision” until late October last season when he was ruled out for the entire year. Now, it’s a lingering hand injury that’s left fans guessing once again. When will Rising play again? Is he out for the season? How bad is the injury on his throwing hand really?
The uncertainty has prompted growing grumblings from fans on social media and message boards.
“I’m not sure what you mean when you say he’s taking heat. I haven’t been on social media and all of that,” Whittingham said when asked about the sentiment. “So, I don’t know where all that is coming from. But, I can tell you for certain that he wants to play and as soon as he gets the go-ahead he will play, and we hope it’s this next game.”
For its first two games without Rising, the Utes were able to escape with wins. In spurts, Isaac Wilson looked the part, becoming the first true freshman quarterback in program history to win a game over an AP Top 25 ranked against then-No. 14 Oklahoma State two weeks ago.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) runs back to the bench after celebrating a touchdown with Utah Utes quarterback Isaac Wilson (11), in Big-12 football action between the Utes and the Arizona Wildcats at Rice-Eccles Stadium, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
But, that all came to a halt against Arizona. Wilson threw two interceptions. Utah’s offense put up a season-low 10 points vs. the Wildcats. The Utes also went 2-of-4 in the red zone en route to a 23-10 loss, their first of the season.
And it’s not just the fans who want Rising back.
Utah’s offense needs him.
With Rising sidelined, the Utes ranked second to last in total offense in the Pac-12 in 2023. They also had the worst passing offense in their previous conference.
With Rising missing significant time this year, Utah’s offense now ranks 8th in the Big 12. The Utes have also thrown the second most interceptions in the conference, a single spot behind a one-win Kansas team.
Just ask Whittingham how important he is to the team.
“He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the country,” Whittingham said. “It’s a quarterback driven game. It’s the most important position on the field, and it’s not even close. If you have an elite quarterback like Cam Rising, then yeah that definitely helps to get him back on the field. It’ll give us a big boost.”
Now, as Utah takes on its bye week — a time to rejuvenate, recover and rest — many would assume Rising will be back in the lineup for No. 18 Utah’s (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) matchup against Arizona State (3-1, 0-1) at 8:30 p.m. MT on Friday, Oct. 11 in Phoenix, Arizona.
“He was really close,” Whittingham said after Utah’s loss on Saturday. “So, there’s a silver lining here. We have a week off, and hopefully he’s ready to go by then.”
But the fans have seen this play out before.
They won’t believe anything until No. 7 trots on the field, takes a snap and throws a pass for the first time since being injured last month.
