Utah quarterback Cam Rising exited late in the second quarter during the Utes’ 23-12 victory over Baylor on Saturday due to a hand injury and did not return to the game.
The injury occurred when Rising was pushed into a row of water coolers on the Baylor sideline. No roughing the passer penalty was called on the play. After leaving the field, Rising was seen in street clothes on the sideline, with his right throwing hand’s ring and middle fingers taped.
Following the game, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham stated he could not give a definite update on Rising’s status for the upcoming matchup against Utah State but appeared to be relatively unconcerned. “Just been told it’s not real serious,” Whittingham said. “You know what I know now. It wasn’t real serious, and I can’t tell you the exact description of what happened, but he may be back this week. We’ll see.”
Before his injury, Rising completed 8 of 14 passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, helping Utah establish a 23-0 lead. He was succeeded by freshman Isaac Wilson, the younger brother of NFL quarterback Zach Wilson, who finished the game completing 4 of 9 passes for 40 yards.
Rising, a seventh-year senior, did not play last year due to a significant knee injury sustained in the previous season’s Rose Bowl. His return this season has been a major factor in Utah being considered one of the favorites to win the Big 12 in their inaugural season in the conference. Rising was instrumental in leading the Utes to Pac-12 championships in 2021 and 2022 and earned first-team all-conference honors in 2021.