No. 11 Utes Survive Baylor as Cam Rising Goes Down Again

© Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The No. 11 Utah Utes (2-0) squeezed by the Baylor Bears (1-1) by a score of 23-12 on Sept. 7 in Salt Lake City. While this game is classified as nonconference, beating a conference opponent is huge for the Utes.

Quarterback Cam Rising gave the Utes a comfortable lead before leaving the game with an injury. Running back Micah Bernard shined as well for Utah. While Dequan Finn and the Bears struggled on offense, their defense is what stood out with the help of linebacker Keaton Thomas.

Game Summary

The game started with both defenses playing well, as they traded punts to start the first quarter. Rising led the charge down the field on the Utes' second drive. After a pass interference call on Baylor cornerback Caden Jenkins, the Utes were in prime position for a score. WR Money Parks scored a 28-yard touchdown on a trick play as the Utes struck first.

Finn looked to respond but was hit hard by defensive end Connor O'Toole, forcing a fumble recovered by Utah. The Utes were knocking on the door once again. Rising completed a 2-yard pass to Bernard for a touchdown, as the Utes scored a second in a hurry. Baylor got the ball, but Utah's defense stood tall, forcing a punt.

Rising wanted to keep the momentum going, scrambling for a major 25-yard rush. This pushed the star QB over 1,000 rushing yards for his career. Immediately after, Rising uncorked a 39-yard bomb to Parks. Once the Utes were in the red zone, the Baylor defense stood tall and forced a field goal. Baylor couldn't do anything with the ball to end the quarter. Utah led 17-0.

Baylor started the second quarter with a punt. Bernard was putting in work for the Utes, but the Baylor defense stopped the bleeding forcing the Utes to punt. Baylor CB Chateau Reed blasted Bernard short of the first. An illegal formation call on Baylor ruined their drive before it could start, leading to another punt. Punter Palmer Williams left a mountain for the Utes to climb, as the beautiful kick pinned the Utes back at their own 2-yard line. Baylor's defense shut down the Utes, forcing a punt as Treven Ma'ae and Garmon Randolph team up to sack Rising. With good field position, the Bears looked like they were finally going to score. As they took their shot at a field goal, it was blocked by Logan Fano and returned for a massive 77-yard touchdown by Tao Johnson. The chaos continued, as the Bears forced a fumble on the Utes' two-point conversion try.

Baylor wanted to make some noise on their next drive, going for it on fourth-and-3. Finn was unable to complete the pass, giving the Utes the ball at the Baylor 47-yard line. The Utes were in striking distance by the two-minute warning. Things started to get chippy, as Rising was pushed out of bounds and his teammates were not happy. Rising appeared to be shaken up with a hand injury on the play and backup QB Isaac Wilson came in for the Utes. While the Utes faced a third-and-20, Baylor's Jenkins was called for another pass interference. The Bears weren't giving Wilson anything easy. The Utes missed their field goal try as the Bears started to pick up the pace on defense.

To end the first half, the Bears marched down the field while fighting the clock. Alaka'i Gilman was called for a clear targeting call, disqualifying him from the game. With four seconds left, the Bears finally got on the board with a field goal by Isaiah Hankins. For the Utes, Rising was the star with 2 touchdowns and 92 yards. LB Thomas shined for the Baylor defense, grabbing 8 total tackles in the first half. The Utes still led 23-3 at halftime.

The Bears offense was unable to move the ball to start the third quarter, as Finn was sacked by O'Toole on third down. Rising was nowhere to be found as the Utes opened their first drive of the second half, with Wilson filling in. Baylor's defense continued to impress, forcing another punt from the Utes. Once the Bears took over, Dawson Pendergrass took off for a 46-yard rush. The Bears were presented with another opportunity to score and converted a series of third downs to get into the red zone. However, the Bears had to settle for another field goal as Hankins nailed the 39-yarder. Wilson couldn't connect with anyone, and Jackie Marshall came up with a huge sack. The Bears continued to move the ball as Finn started to use his legs more. After picking up the first down, Finn zipped a 47-yard touchdown to Josh Cameron. The Bears opted to go for two, but Finn threw the ball away. Nonetheless, Baylor got their first touchdown of the game.

To start the fourth quarter, Wilson threw an 18-yard dot to Parks, converting on third down. Shortly after, he was faced with a third-and-6 and missed Singer. The Utes had to punt once again. Finn appeared to be injured, as backup Sawyer Robertson came in. The Bears could not grab a new set of downs and chose to punt. The Utes chugged down the field with the help of RB Bernard. When trying to add some extra padding to the lead, Becker missed a 43-yard field goal. This gave the Bears the ball back with 3:40 left in a two-score game. Finn returned to the game and couldn't get the Bears in scoring position. The Utes ran out the clock and won the game 23-12. Bernard finished with a receiving touchdown and 118 rushing yards. O'Toole had a great defensive game with 2 sacks and 7 total tackles. For the Bears, Finn ended with a touchdown on 111 yards.

The Turning Point

For the Utes, things took a negative turn when Rising injured his hand in the second quarter. After that, the offense no longer resembled the team that scored in a hurry in the first. Baylor's defense played Wilson pretty well, and it slowed down the offense as a whole. If Rising plays the whole time, this gap in this game could have been much wider. Wilson still needs time to develop, and the Utes hope they won't have to throw him in the fire again in Week 3.

What's Next?

For the Utes, a win here was huge. While it wasn't perfect, they played well against a Big 12 conference opponent. However, if Rising's hand injury is serious due to that hit in the second quarter, the Utes could be in trouble. Their preseason hype was centered around Rising and the rest of the team being healthy. If Utah has to roll with the freshman QB Wilson for an extended amount of time, things might change in a hurry. In Week 3, the Utes travel north to face the Utah State Aggies in their first road test of the season. Rising's status for that game is currently unknown.

For Baylor, the Bears shouldn't hang their head. They put some good things on film playing against the No. 11 team in the country, while playing on the road. The Bears are taking steps in the right direction, and look to improve upon the previous season. Their defense held up this week, giving fans something to be excited about. For Week 3, the Bears will host the Air Force Academy Falcons at home in what should be an exciting matchup.