Kyle Whittingham Gives QB Drew Lisk Game Ball After Comeback Win Over WSU

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – After leading Utah’s offense to a comeback win over Washington State, head coach Kyle Whittingham awarded QB Drew Lisk the game ball.

Utah was trailing 28-7 late in the second quarter when Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig elected to change quarterbacks and insert Drew Lisk to replace Jake Bentley.

The Utes scored 38 unanswered points and knocked off the Cougars 45-28 in their season finale. Lisk completed 15 of his 26 pass attempts for 152 yards. He didn’t turn the ball over. Lisk was a critical part of Utah’s offense scoring 31 points in the second half as he kept their drives moving and setting his teammates up to make big plays.

After the win, Kyle Whittingham gave the game ball to Lisk.

“Hell of a job,” Whittingham said in his postgame speech. “The game ball to the legend, just the beginning legend Drew Lisk.”

After Lisk received the ball from coach Whittingham, the senior made a speech.

“This goes to the whole team now,” Lisk said. “This is a lot of work right here. Every single one of you top to bottom did this together. This ain’t one person. It’s a great win and I love all ya’ll.”

GAME BALL: @drewlisker.

SO well-deserved. pic.twitter.com/ZUtkWWS8Dv

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 19, 2020

After the game, Lisk met with the media and was asked about his mindset when he was told he was going into the game for Jake Bentley.

“Let’s go,” Lisk stated. I just knew it was time to go. What I worked all week in practice for, all offseason, last four years. The biggest thing is these guys on this team they trust me and I trust them and so there’s never a doubt in anyone’s mind. We just needed to go out and execute.”

Coach Whittingham was asked about the performance of Lisk and leading the team to victory.

“Drew Lisk is one of my favorite players on this entire team,” stated Whittingham. “He’s completely unselfish, he’s got a great attitude, he’s just the epitome of a great teammate. All he wants to do is help the program any way he can. We’re elated when he decided to come back because he’s got two or three degrees and all kinds of stuff that he could do and I think this was his last game here at Utah, even though he has the opportunity to come back. I just don’t think that’s in his plans. But Drew Lisk is a pleasure to have on your team, he’s a guy that helps everybody around him as much as he possibly can. He’s like a coach on the field. You saw the legend of Drew Lisk was born in that second half and he’ll be able to tell that story for years how he came in and rallied the troops.”

Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports. You can download and listen to the podcast, here.