The Return of Cam Rising: Utah Utes Dominate Southern Utah

© Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

The No. 12 Utah Utes (1-0) kicked off their 2024 season against Southern Utah (0-1), doing so in commanding fashion. The Utes dominated the Thunderbirds with a final score of 49-0 on Aug. 29 in Salt Lake City. The return of quarterback Cam Rising and tight end Brant Kuithe added excitement to this matchup against an FCS opponent.

Once the Utes had possession of the ball, they never looked back. The offense fired on all cylinders as Rising got back into his groove. The defense played a near-perfect game, not allowing the Thunderbirds to get any offense on the board. Rising, Kuithe and running back Dijon Stanley gave the Utes everything they needed to create a deficit the T-birds could never overcome.

Game Summary

The Utes controlled both sides of the ball from start to finish. Like the matchup between these two teams in 2022, the Utes didn't give the Thunderbirds a chance to get the ball rolling. Rising looked like he didn't miss a beat, throwing a 64-yard touchdown to Stanley in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Rising began to take over, throwing 4 touchdowns. Three of those touchdowns were hauled in by Kuithe, who also returned from missing last season due to injury. Rising finished with 5 touchdowns and 254 yards while playing the first half only. The speedster Stanley added another score, totaling 2 touchdowns in the first half.

The defense smothered the Thunderbirds, forcing multiple punts in the first half. With the margin being so wide before the end of the second quarter, the Utes opted to take out a handful of starters. This gave Utes fans a look at freshman QB Isaac Wilson, who struggled early on. Wilson threw 2 interceptions but showed flashes of potential throughout the rest of the game. The defense continued to shine, with defensive back Elijah Davis picking off Thunderbirds QB Jackson Berry at the beginning of the third. Utes cornerback Smith Snowden showed out with 4 solo tackles.

RB Mike Mitchell added the only touchdown in the third quarter for Utah. Wilson's first touchdown was thrown to Baylor basketball player-turned-tight end Caleb Lohner in the fourth quarter. At the end of the game, the Utes' defense forced a missed field goal, completing the shutout as the Utes won 49-0.

The Turning Point

Once Rising through that first touchdown to Kuithe, the game was essentially over. After the 29-yard strike was thrown between the two Utes veterans, fans remembered what they were missing last season while both were unable to play. The pair of Rising and Kuithe connected two more times in the second quarter, blowing the T-birds out of the water.

About three minutes after the first touchdown, Rising through another 18-yard dot to Kuithe for the second. With just over a minute left in the half, another score came from the duo, this time for 11 yards. Rising and Kuithe staying healthy is key for the Utes this season. If they want to be at the top of the Big 12 Conference, those two are going to have to be a major part of it.

What It Means

For the Utes, it means starting on the right foot. Rising and Kuithe looked healthy and the rest of the squad showed up and showed out. Had the Utes lost this game, it would have been a mess. This also marks the first win for the Utes in their short Big 12 history. While it is always great to win in Week 1, the Utes have more challenging opponents ahead as they face the Baylor Bears in Week 2.

For the Thunderbirds, this game doesn't mean a whole lot. Nobody expected Southern Utah to win this game, so it is not the end of the world. They got some good things on tape and this game helps them prepare for their season in the United Athletic Conference. The Thunderbirds can still go be competitive in the UAC, with their toughest challenge being behind them. In Week 2, the Thunderbirds will travel to El Paso, Texas to face the UTEP Miners.