This is a big developing story in the Pac-12. We all thought Cam Rising would play sometime in late September or early October, but that simply isn’t happening.
We asked our Pac-12 panel: Does Cam Rising need to play this week against Cal in order for Utah to have a reasonable chance against USC, or can Rising make his debut against the Trojans and still win on October 21?
Matt Wadleigh: Utah has had USC’s number, but Rising needs a tune-up game after such a long layoff and some worrisome injury details. If he does play against Cal, maybe he just plays one half then sees how everything feels.
Matt Zemek: I think so. Rising needs at least one warm-up game to flush out the rust and establish relationships with his receivers. All of Rising’s time off, spent in street clothes, has to give way to some real action and a good test which sharpens his instincts and builds his fitness base. Consider how rusty Mason Cobb was at linebacker for USC against Arizona State. That was after a three-week injury, not a several-month injury. Rising definitely needs some meaningful work in the Cal game to build toward the USC game. Similarly, he needs the USC game on October 21 to build toward the Oregon game on October 28. This is a very important story in the Pac-12 right now.
Zachary Neel: It would be nice for Rising to get a game under his belt before taking on the Trojans in a big-time matchup, but I don’t think that USC’s defense is exactly the juggernaut that you fear sticking a rusty QB up against. It would be better if he could get his feet wet against Cal, but it’s not the end of the world if he has to jump into the fire against the Trojans.
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