Utah quarterback Cam Rising left the game late in the second quarter during the Utes’ 23-12 victory over Baylor on Saturday due to a hand injury and did not return. The injury occurred when Rising was pushed into a bank of water coolers on the Baylor sideline, an incident that did not result in a roughing the passer penalty. Following the incident, Rising was seen on the sideline in street clothes with tape on the ring and middle fingers of his right throwing hand.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham addressed the media after the game but was unable to provide definitive information on Rising’s status for the upcoming matchup against Utah State. However, he appeared to be not overly worried. “Just been told it’s not real serious,” Whittingham stated. “You know what I know now. It wasn’t real serious and can’t tell you the exact description of what happened, but he may be back this week. We’ll see.”
Prior to his exit, Rising had a solid performance, completing 8 of 14 passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, helping Utah to a commanding 23-0 lead. He was replaced by true freshman Isaac Wilson, the younger sibling of NFL quarterback Zach Wilson, who managed to complete 4 of 9 passes for 40 yards.
Rising, a seventh-year senior, had missed the entirety of last season due to a significant knee injury sustained during the Rose Bowl the previous year. His return in the current season has played a crucial role in Utah being considered one of the frontrunners to win the Big 12 in its inaugural season in the conference. Rising previously led the Utes to Pac-12 championships in 2021 and 2022 and earned first-team all-conference honors in 2021.