Tag: Cam Rising

Cam Rising returns for one more season at Utah, adding to Pac-12 QB riches in 2023

Caleb Williams. Michael Penix. Bo Nix. D.J. Uiagalelei. Shedeur Sanders. Jayden de Laura. Now Cam Rising says he’s coming back. #Pac12 QB hype will be insane in August.

The hype surrounding Pac-12 football entering 2023 — USC’s last season in the conference — will be enormous.

Washington returns quarterback Michael Penix after winning 11 games in 2022. Oregon brings back Bo Nix after a 10-win season. USC has the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Caleb Williams, who is coming off an 11-win season in which the Trojans reached the Pac-12 Championship Game and a New Year’s Six bowl. Colorado has Shedeur Sanders coming to Boulder from Jackson State, along with Deion Sanders. Oregon State is betting big on D.J. Uiagalelei. Arizona has Jayden de Laura.

Now, another prime quarterback has made it official: Cam Rising will return to Utah in 2023. The Pac-12’s quarterback class retained another one of its star performers.

Rising doesn’t always make it look pretty, but as USC fans can attest, he’s a baller who makes the important plays and wins big games. Rising, who beat USC twice this past season, has led Utah to back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances. He is a certified Utah football legend, and he’s going to play one more year for Kyle Whittingham, giving the Utes continuity and cohesion on offense when they come to the Los Angeles Coliseum against the Trojans.

Buckle up: Pac-12 football will be very competitive and absolutely loaded at the quarterback spot this year. It’s going to be quite a thrill ride in the West.

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Pac-12 is deep and loaded at the QB spot heading into 2023

Caleb. Nix. Penix. Shedeur Sanders. Cam Rising if he comes back for one more year. The #Pac12 will have some gunslingers. We talked to the @VoiceOfCFB.

The quarterback position in the Pac-12 was neglected in 2021. Washington, Oregon, and USC had less-than-ideal situations at the QB spot.

One year later, that all changed in a very big way.

Bo Nix had a big year in Eugene in 2022. Michael Penix lit up the Seattle skies with his NFL-level throws. All Caleb Williams did at USC was win the Heisman Trophy.

None of those men won the Pac-12 championship. That’s what Cam Rising did. It was a strong year for Pac-12 quarterbacks, and it’s only going to get better in 2023.

Caleb, Nix, Penix, and maybe also Rising will return. Shedeur Sanders will accompany his dad, Deion Sanders, to Colorado as part of a Ralphie transfer portal stampede from Jackson State and other schools. We also need to see if D.J. Uiagalelei can become a big-time quarterback at Oregon State, and if Drew Pyne can evolve at Arizona State.

Pac-12 quarterback play is on the rise. We talked about this with Mark Rogers at The Voice of College Football:

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Utah QB Cam Rising bounces up after getting obliterated by USC’s Ralen Goforth

Utah QB Cam Rising somehow got up after a crushing hit

There are hits and then there is the shot Cam Rising took in the third quarter of the Pac-12 Championship Game on Friday in Las Vegas.

Rising took off on a run and his momentum was lurching forward when he was hit full-on by USC’s Ralen Goforth, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker.

Rising’s helmet flew off but the Utah quarterback somehow bounced up and was ready to go.

He had to miss a play due to college football rules that say when a player loses his helmet he must sit out the next play.

There was a quick review for targeting on the play but it was found to be a clean hit.

And what a hit it was.

Another view of the hit Rising took.

The Utah lead kept, um, rising, in the fourth quarter of the Pac-12 championship as the Utes kicked a field goal at the end of the drive to go up 27-17.

Utah grabs lead over USC with TD pass on 3rd-and-19

Utah has scored 21 straight and leads USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game

The USC crowd at Allegiant Stadium was roaring after a sack and near interception in the third quarter left Utah with a third-and-19.

One play later Friday and the Utes’ fans were at full throat.

Cam Rising found Money Parks and the sophomore from Alfredo, Tx, was off to the races.

Parks completed the 57-yard play and suddenly a Utah team that trailed at one point by 14 had scored 21 straight and was up 24-17.

This came shortly after the Moment of Loudness for Utah fans at the Pac-12 Championship Game.

To make matters worse for the Trojans, QB Caleb Williams was bothered by a cut pinkie and appeared to be impacted by some sort of leg injury.

 

Utah storms back to tie USC at half of Pac-12 Championship Game

Utah has caught USC at halftime of the Pac-12 Championship Game

Utah started slowly. The Utes closed the first half ferociously and wound up in a 17-17 tie with USC at the break of the Pac-12 Championship Game in Las Vegas.

Cam Rising led the touchdown drives for the Utes.

The first covered 63 yards in 11 plays and took more than 6 1/2 minutes.

Then, with time running down in the first half, Rising led a 14-play, 81-yard march that covered 1:38 and culminated with a 4-yard TD pass to Jaylen Dixon with 2 seconds left in the half.

The PAT tied the game at 17 and suddenly the rematch was looking like the thriller of the first meeting when Utah won 43-42 in the final seconds.

USC was hoping to lock down a spot in the College Football Playoff but Utah was not going to make it easy for the Trojans.

Potential Chargers prospects to watch in Pac-12 Championship Game

Looking at a few prospects who could be on the Los Angeles Chargers’ radar.

When the USC Trojans and Utah Utes meet up in Friday night’s Pac-12 Championship Game, several prospects will showcase their talents on a supersized stage, with a handful of NFL evaluators watching closely.

Let’s look at a few who could be on the Chargers’ radar.

TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah

The Chargers could address the tight end position next offseason, given Donald Parham’s lingering injury concerns and Tre’ McKitty hasn’t provided much value. Kincaid is a proven pass-catcher with good route-running skills, can produce after the catch, and has the toughness to win and secure crowded catch points. In addition, he is consistent as a blocker. Kincaid amassed 103 receptions for 1375 yards and 16 touchdowns in 25 career games.

CB Clark Phillips, Utah

Brandon Staley said last offseason that as long as he’s head coach, the Chargers will always be looking to upgrade the cornerback room. Should they look to address the positional room early, Phillips is a fine option. The name of Phillips’ game is instincts, excellent movement skills, physicality, and ball skills. Listed at 5-foot-9, Phillips plays bigger than his size. While he may be relegated to slot duties, he’s showcased the ability to play outside at a high level. In 2022, he only allowed 37 receptions on 64 targets for 430 yards, four touchdowns, and a 65.6 quarterback rating. He also amassed six interceptions, five passes defended, and two touchdowns.

DT Tuli Tuipulotu, USC

The Chargers upgraded the defensive tackle position with Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson, and Otito Ogbonnina, all of whom are solid run defenders. But they are lacking interior defenders who can get to the quarterback. Tuipulotu is just that. Tuipulotu generated 49 pressures, 11 QB hits, two forced fumbles, and 13 sacks in 354 pass-rush snaps. The 6-foot-5 and 290-pounder has the versatility to line up across the line, having played 751 snaps at defensive end, 428 at the three-tech, and 177 at nose tackle.

WR Jordan Addison, USC

The Chargers need to look to add an explosive element to the offense next off-season. Addison could be just that. The former Biletnikoff winner, Addison, has put up 54 receptions for 810 yards and eight touchdowns. In 2021, he posted 1500 yards and 17 touchdowns at Pittsburgh. While undersized at 6-foot and 170 pounds, Addison has the speed, elite route running skills, elusiveness after the catch, and strong hands of an NFL receiver.

Other players to watch for

LT Braeden Daniels, Utah

EDGE Gabe Reid, Utah

RT Sataoa Laumea, Utah

CB Mekhi Blackmon, USC

OL Andrew Vorhees, USC

USC run defense has gotten better under Alex Grinch

Utah won’t have Tavion Thomas for Friday’s #Pac12 title game; it’s all about stopping Cam Rising and Dalton Kincaid in the passing game. #USC

UCLA and Notre Dame both wanted to run the ball with consistent success against USC. This would have allowed the Bruins and the Fighting Irish to control the ball, drain the clock, and keep Caleb Williams off the field.

Yet, what happened in these two games? Austin Jones of USC was the rusher who thrived. He topped 100 yards in both games. USC held Zach Charbonnet under 100 yards against UCLA, and it held Audric Estime under 100 yards against Notre Dame.

Alex Grinch isn’t solving every problem for this USC defense, but the run defense — so obviously substandard in the first half of the season — has become solid and relatively consistent in the second half of the season.

As USC prepares to face a Utah team without Tavion Thomas, it’s hard to deny the idea that the Trojans need to focus on stopping the Cam Rising-Dalton Kincaid pitch-and-catch combination. They combined for 16 targets, 16 catches, and 234 yards on Oct. 15 against USC. Stop Cam Rising, contain Dalton Kincaid, win the game.

The team at The Voice of College Football discussed USC’s run defense. Be sure to catch the USC postgame show at The Voice of College Football after Friday night’s Pac-12 Championship Game.

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Utah’s journey in 2022: unbeaten at home, unsteady on the road, successful vs USC

Cam Rising played his best vs #USC and will need to play well again. One interesting talking point: Will the Vegas crowd be pro-Utes, pro-Trojans, or split?

The USC Trojans are facing the Utah Utes in the Pac-12 title game on Friday night in Las Vegas.

The Trojans’ only loss this year came against Utah on a last-minute two-point conversion by Cameron Rising, and now USC has a chance to get revenge on Utah and secure a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Utah finished the year with a 9-3 overall record with losses against Florida, UCLA, and Oregon. With the reigning Pac-12 champions playing USC, let’s look back at the year for the Utes and their 12-game schedule with some notes about each contest.

5 Utes the Ducks need to watch out for in Saturday night showdown

There are five Utes Utes the Ducks need to hold down in order to avoid a two-game losing streak.

There were just two “utes” in the movie My Cousin Vinny, but on Saturday night inside Autzen Stadium, there are five Utes Oregon needs to pay close attention to in order to avoid a second straight loss.

Utah is 8-2 on the season with road losses to Florida and UCLA. Luckily for the Ducks, this matchup will occur at Autzen Stadium and not Rice-Eccles in Salt Lake City where the forecast calls for a high of 37 and a low of 17.

The Utes are coming off of a 42-7 win over Stanford and the Ducks are going to try and make sure the Huskies don’t beat them twice. Unfortunately, the Utes actually did beat Orgon twice last season and that should be on the minds of some of the players that suffered those defeats.

In order to exact some revenge, Oregon will need to concentrate on these five opponents and limit their damage.

Cam Rising does not start Utah game vs Washington State on Thursday night

Utah and Kyle Whittingham clearly kept this under wraps during Utah’s off week. Salt Lake Tribune reporter Josh Newman provided some early details.

So this is a plot twist. Utah quarterback Cam Rising, who torched USC for over 400 passing yards on Oct. 15, did not start the Utes’ Thursday night game against Washington State, due to a knee injury.

This knee injury was kept under wraps, literally and figuratively. Rising did take the field for warm-ups before the Washington State game in Pullman, and he did so with his knee in a sleeve. No one knew before the game that Rising would not play, though the wrapping was conspicuous. It was not believed to be serious enough to keep him from actually playing.

Here are some more details from Salt Lake Tribune reporter Josh Newman: