Amid special team woes, Cam Rising steps up as the team's 'quick kick' punter

SALT LAKE CITY — Cam Rising didn't win the special teams player of the week award in the Pac-12, but he did receive votes.

That statement alone is unconventional and one loaded with meaning for Utah's starting quarterback.

Yet, Rising had two punts in Utah's 44-24 win over UCLA Saturday, pinning the Bruins inside the 10-yard line both times. His second punt, a 43 yarder, appeared destined for a touchback, but the ball bounced favorably inside for the Utes and was downed at the 6-yard line — in true punter fashion.

The spectacle and wonder of seeing Utah's quarterback suddenly start punting added intrigue to an already talented player that is universally loved on the team — a player that has also led to a resurgence on offense and positioned the Utes for a South division title.

But for Rising, who laughed off comments about his special team abilities after the game, the punting Saturday was commonplace — he'd done it for years in high school.

"I actually used to do that all the time in high school. I think I got recognized in CIF Southern Section for it," Rising said. "It was nice to make it come to fruition once we ran it out there; it was fun."

Sure enough, Rising was an All-CIF South Section Division 3 punter for the 2017-18 season, his senior year at Newbury Park High School.

Rising has the ability and it was put to good use for the Utes, who did not use its traditional special teams personnel Saturday. But whether the Utes will continue to use Rising as a punter remains to be seen.

"We'll see. It certainly paid dividends on Saturday night — both kicks ended up inside the 10-yard line," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said. "Cam was the punter for his high school team, and so it's nothing new to him. A quick kick is nothing extraordinary; I mean, a lot of teams in the country do it and have success with it.

"We'll see where it fits from week to week."

Whittingham, though, said Saturday that Rising punting in the game is a strong indicator of where Utah's kicking situation is after two punts were blocked in a loss to Oregon State and others have had close calls.

And regardless of the team's situation, it gives Utah another look on offense with a quarterback that has talent as a punter. In fourth-down situations, Utah now has the option to try for a first down or have Rising get off a quick kick punt. In the age of data-driven decisions on the field, it's the best of both worlds for Utah's offense.

"Yeah, it's a good weapon, and in particular with the day and age of analytics where more people are going for fourth downs ... on a fourth and short, that's a great opportunity to utilize it," Whittingham said. "And then if teams play safeties deep to guard against it, then you run an offensive play and you have an advantage there."

In the words of Jacopo in the movie "The Count of Monte Cristo": "How is this a bad plan?"

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It's a scenario that Whittingham said he finds a bit "surprising" that more teams don't utilize given the options it presents to teams.

"Yeah, it is a little bit surprising that it's not more universal, but your quarterback has to feel comfortable doing it," he said. "And I guess a lot of quarterbacks have very little experience punting the football. Jake Browning did phenomenal at Washington. He was really good at."

Rising feels comfortable doing it and was effective Saturday night, so for Utah's sake there's now tape out there for opposing teams to see. It's enough to force opposing defenses to now account for Rising's ability. But like Saturday, when Rising's punt was downed at the 6-yard line, there's a negative about not playing the punt when Utah got a safety on the ensuing play.

Defend it at your own peril.

Would Rising be tabbed to be the team's place-kicker, too, especially after Whittingham opened up the competition again among Jadon Redding and Jordan Noyes?

"I don't know if he place-kicked," Whittingham said. "Even if he did, I wouldn't consider it."

No field goals or PATs, just punting for Rising.

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