Taking Inventory Of Utah Football Injuries From Washington State

PULLMAN, Washington – It was a rough night for Utah football in terms of injuries keeping key players out and in one case happening during the game.

Not much is known or probably will be known about exactly what and how long for some of Utah’s players, but there are a few things to keep inventory of as the Utes move forward into the last half of the season.

 

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First of all, before we start listing the things we do know, it seems astute to mention that Utah will have another extra couple days to try and get some of these guys right since they played on Thursday after a BYE. The next two opponents for the Utes (Arizona and Stanford at home) also lend themselves to possibly allowing them to continue sitting some guys out in the lead up to their big game against Oregon in Eugene.

Find the most recent Utah injury update here (October 31, 2022) 

Cam Rising Injury

Probably the most stunning guy sitting out against Washington State Thursday night was quarterback Cam Rising. Rising warmed up, Rising was dressed, but backup Bryson Barnes started- a last minute decision detailed by head coach Kyle Whittingham in his presser after the game.

Whittingham also revealed the decision to sit was made by Rising himself after practicing all week which is a big deal considering how competitive he is. Whittingham went on to say that if the worst should have happened in that game (Barnes got injured) that freshman Nate Johnson would have been next up, followed by quarterback turned running back Ja’Quinden Jackson before they would have looked at Rising.

As per usual with non-season ending injuries for Utah, no details were given as to what ailed Rising or how long he may not play.

Dalton Kincaid

Tight end Dalton Kincaid got into the end zone like it was the last thing he would ever do for Utah’s final touchdown of the night. It happened to quite literally be the last thing he did that night. Kincaid stayed dressed and out on the sidelines for the remainder of the game, and appeared to be walking around fine, but he had no helmet on him.

Hey siri, define resilient.

TD @_DaltonKincaid pic.twitter.com/WoFtKGF0X9

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) October 28, 2022

Once again, not much is known about what happened to Kincaid and if he will be out for any extended period of time. Whittingham said it was too early to know in the press conference following the game, so there possibly could be an update at Monday’s press conference if the injury is season-ending or not.

If Kincaid were to miss any significant time, it would be a big blow to a team that already lost their other tight end weapon for the season in Brant Kuithe.

The Running Back Room

Perhaps no singular position group has been hit harder than Utah’s running back room.

Starter from last season Tavion Thomas has basically been a non-factor for the Utes this season after racking up 21 touchdowns and over 1,000 yard rushing last season. Thomas’ issues have not been injury-related, but it is worth noting he hasn’t been available to a team that could really use his talents. Thomas didn’t even travel for the WSU game, though Whittingham did mention they hoped to have him back in the future.

Micah Bernard was announced to be out for the game but did end up playing very limited snaps, mostly in a pass blocking type role. As with every other injury on this list, Whittingham did not give details on Bernard’s exact ailments, but did note he is pretty banged up.

Add in Chris Curry’s earlier season-ending injury and the group is in rough shape. The young guys- freshman Jaylon Glover and quarterback-turned-running back Ja’Quinden Jackson did a nice job for Utah with everyone out, however, the Utes are going to want to get Bernard in better shape and possibly Thomas back as well if they can so there is depth again.

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