Utah and Baylor faced off at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, September 7, 2024. Following Utah’s 23-12 win over Baylor, head coach Kyle Whittingham did not provide details on the extent of quarterback Cam Rising’s hand injury.
“I can’t give you any specifics on his availability right now,” Whittingham noted. “I’ve been informed it’s not very serious, but I can’t give you a clear description. He might be back this week; we’ll see.”
Rising, a senior quarterback and key player for the Utes, left the game shortly before halftime, heading to the locker room with a towel covering his right hand. The injury occurred near the end of the first half when he was hit close to the sideline as he was pushed out of bounds with 1:47 left. After the hit, he collided with a Gatorade cooler on the Baylor sideline and appeared to be favoring his hand.
True freshman Isaac Wilson stepped in for Rising at quarterback after he exited. Whittingham stated he would evaluate a potential late hit by Baylor on the play only after reviewing game footage. “I can’t speculate since I didn’t get a good view,” he commented.
After the incident, Rising was assessed in the medical tent before leaving the field. He had completed 8 of 14 passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, along with two carries for 21 yards, before leaving the game, which Utah was leading 23-0 at the time.
Wilson, who replaced Rising, completed 4 of 9 passes for 30 yards and had two carries resulting in a loss of 10 yards over six possessions, none of which resulted in scoring; he also saw Cole Becker miss two field goal attempts during his tenure.
Whittingham praised Wilson’s performance, saying, “He looked much more comfortable and in control compared to his outing in the Week 1 victory against Southern Utah. He threw some good balls.”
In the second half, Rising was seen on the sidelines dressed in street clothes, with his middle and ring fingers taped together. Whittingham added that if Rising remains unavailable for the next game, Wilson will take over as the starter.
“I’ve got to be prepared. I need to be ready for my team when my number is called again,” Wilson stated.