Cam Rising, Brant Kuithe Looked Great In Utah Football’s 49-0 Victory
Aug 29, 2024, 10:28 PM | Updated: Sep 3, 2024, 2:02 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – It was a night many Utah fans were looking forward to and Utah Football ultimately delivered. Kyle Whittingham’s ball club earned a 49-0 win over Southern Utah, in which Cam Rising and Brant Kuithe shined tonight.
This was a game that Utah should have won comfortably and they ultimately took care of business in that regard, while providing plenty of exciting moments.
And that’s a wrap‼️ UTES WIN‼️#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/gs1AwNTbk1
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 30, 2024
Cam Rising reminded us all, he’s still Bad Moon Rising
It was a career night for Utah’s star quarterback and his night ended early. He finished the game having completed 10-of-15 passes for 264 yards and five touchdowns, which is a new career-high.
This TD marks @crising7‘s 50th passing touchdown putting him 4th all-time in Utah Football history. 🙌#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/fqhsfTwPsc
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 30, 2024
He executed familiar plays and made throws to familiar faces. Rising completed throws to his old friend, Brant Kuithe, four times, three of which led to touchdowns. He also made a handful of other throws that showcased the arm strength. The decision-making was solid, not super crisp throughout the night, but good decisions were made the majority of the time.
Perhaps more impressive than all of that was the mobility Rising displayed at times tonight. You could feel the uneasiness in Rice Eccles Stadium any time Rising decided to run but he made plays with his legs just like he did before his injury.
It wasn’t a perfect night, but an encouraging night. Rising simply played football, as he said he would.
Brant Kuithe picking up where he left off
If you recall, Kuithe was on an absolute tear in 2022 prior to his injury. Kuithe had caught 19 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns through three games and a quarter that season.
A hat trick of TDs for Brant Kuithe in the FIRST HALF 🤯#GoUtes https://t.co/3QyTDgyFLm
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 30, 2024
In his return tonight, Kuithe finished with 4 receptions for 69 yards and three touchdowns. With those three scores, he now holds the Big 12 Conference record for touchdowns in a half by a tight end. Needless to say, Kuithe made an emphatic introduction to the new conference.
His first touchdown reception was on an excellent play-action play design that allowed him to slip past every defender. His second touchdown was a touchdown up the seam, just an easy pitch and catch for him and Rising. He finished with a bang on his last touchdown, as he fought through four would-be tacklers to get into the end zone.
Brant Kuithe, you're my hero.@Brantkuithe14 | @Utah_Football pic.twitter.com/Ev1jBLgDKi
— Utah Athletics (@utahathletics) August 30, 2024
He looked as good as new tonight. He had that familiar burst, the easiness to his game, and just looked good tonight.
Dijon Stanley does in fact operate on a different playing field than everyone else
That quote from coach Quinton Ganther at the conclusion of camp caught everyone’s attention. He validated the comment with an exclamation point tonight.
Stanley caught three passes for 150 yards and two scores. The two scores came on a 64-yard wheel route for the first score of the game, and a 79-yard score on another wheel route for Utah’s third touchdown.
The speed advantage was as clear as day. He was just no match for SUU defenders, who also did themselves no favors in how they defended the play.
Still, it was good to see the athleticism look as apparent as it did tonight. Stanley will continue to be a dynamic factor for Utah this season.
The unfortunate Kenan Johnson injury
It happened away from the play, on a nothing play essentially, Johnson fell to the ground in pain. After the medical staff tended to him, he had to be helped off the field without being to put any weight on his left leg.
After a lengthy stay in the injury tent, Johnson left the field on crutches and a knee brace. He did not return, and- unfortunately, it sounds like he will be lost for the season.
Utah replaced Johnson with Elijah “Scooby” Davis. The redshirt sophomore actually looked solid in coverage and had an interception in the 3rd quarter. He will now be tasked with stepping up into a bigger role this season. Perhaps this game will serve as a confidence booster for him.
Cameron Calhoun, who did not dress tonight, will work his way back into the mix this next week. After offseason surgery, Calhoun began his return process a couple of weeks back. The belief is that will be available for the Baylor game but that is entirely dependent upon him this week in practice. His return is obviously rather significant for Utah’s cornerback room.
Coach Whittingham added in the post-game press conference that Tao Johnson could be moved from safety to corner. He added that’s not something they necessarily want to do but it is on the table.
There were flashes of promise and freshman mistakes for Isaac Wilson
The true freshman got into the game before halftime. He took over with only seconds remaining before the break. His very first collegiate series was the exact opposite of what you’d hope to see.
He was sacked on 1st down, scrambled to avoid pressure on 2nd down, and then threw an interception on 3rd down.
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 30, 2024
Wilson would settle in a little bit in the second half. He orchestrated a 12-play drive that resulted in a touchdown. Then threw a touchdown pass to Caleb Lohner on a back-shoulder type of throw early in the 4th quarter.
Unfortunately, he also threw his second interception before that touchdown throw. It was a greedy, if not poor decision, he just tried to force a pass that simply was not there.
Utah gave him opportunities and that was encouraging to see. First game out the way, Wilson now has a better idea of what competition will look like at this level. All in all, he looked as you’d expect. There were nerves, there were flashes, and there were freshman mistakes.
A shutout for the Utah defense
It looked a little iffy at times but ultimately, this Utah defense took care of business. The defense finished the night limiting the SUU offense to 150 yards and a 0 on the scoreboard.
The effort was spearheaded by Van Fillinger, who finished the night with 2.0 sacks, while Smith Snowden was simply a tenacious presence at nickel with 4 tackles, 2 of which for loss.
Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley was able to get a lot of players time on the field tonight. Getting their 3rd string defenders action for most of the 4th quarter.
Utah Football Schedule
With the win, Utah will turn their attention to Baylor in week two. You can find Utah football’s conference schedule here.
