Stillwater, Okla. • Cam Rising wore a white glove on his injured throwing hand while he tossed passes to his receivers and tight ends in pregame warmups.
All things pointed to a start for the seventh-year quarterback after he missed last weekend’s contest vs. Utah State with a hand injury. Heck, even pre-game reports hinted that he was set for a return from his injury.
But, as Utah’s offense trotted out to the field on its first drive there was no sign of No. 7. Rising was, instead, on the sideline, donning a red Utes hat and cheering on his backup, Isaac Wilson.
And cheering him to victory, too.
No. 12 Utah (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) defeated No. 14 Oklahoma State by a score of 22-19 on Saturday despite the starting quarterback’s absence.
Wilson went 17-for-29 for 207 passing yards, one passing touchdown and two interceptions in his second career start in Rising’s absence. Senior running back Micah Bernard led Utah’s offense with a career-high 182 rushing yards and an average of 7.3 yards per carry versus OSU’s defense.
Utah quarterback Isaac Wilson (11) runs the ball towards Oklahoma State safety Kendal Daniels (5) in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Stillwater, Okla. (AP Photo/Mitch Alcala)
Utah’s defense dominated for the entire game, holding Oklahoma State to 237 passing yards and 48 rushing yards. OSU star running back Ollie Gordon II struggled for the third straight week, finishing with 42 rushing yards and a 3.8 yard per carry average.
“Take away the run game was always our first order of business. We were able to do that,” Kyle Whittingham told Fox when asked about his team’s game plan. “Turn the team one-dimensional and then try to get after the quarterback. That doesn’t change week to week.”
Both Oklahoma State and Utah’s offenses struggled in the first half, going a combined 4-for-15 on third downs. The Utes also had three turnovers, which included two interceptions thrown by Wilson and a fumble from senior running back Micah Bernard.
OSU quarterback Alan Bowman couldn’t find a rhythm, either, finishing 8-for-22 with one interception in seven first-half drives. Oklahoma State’s offense had 119 total yards by halftime, with their lone score coming on a field goal at the 12:14 mark in the first quarter.
Despite the turnovers, Utah led 10-3 by halftime The Utes logged a field goal late in the first and scored a touchdown following a direct snap and one-yard rush by senior tight end Brant Kuithe with 7:25 remaining until the half.
With Bowman struggling, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy benched the seventh-year senior for sophomore quarterback Garret Rangel. The move did not pay dividends, however. Rangel finished the game 3-for-11 with 31 passing yards.
With OSU’s offense struggling, Bernard gave the Utes a spark of rushing for a 62-yard gain with 5:26 remaining in the third quarter. His run ultimately led to a 38-yard field goal from Cole Becker, giving Utah a 13-3 lead by the end of the quarter.
The Utes offense continued to find its footing in the final quarter. Wilson led a 10-play, 44-yard drive that ended with another Becker field goal, giving Utah a 16-3 lead with 11:29 left in the contest.
Wilson delivered another blow by throwing a touchdown pass to Kuithe in the fourth.
Bowman was given another shot to lead the Cowboys late. His touchdown pass to Rashod Owens with 1:47 to play made it a one-score game. Oklahoma State’s successful two-point conversion made the score 22-19.
Utah recovered the ensuing onside kick and Bernard helped run out the clock.
Bowman finished the game with 206 yards passing, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Next, the Utes will return home to take on Arizona (2-1, 0-1) at 8:15 p.m. MT on Saturday, Sept. 28 in Salt Lake City.
