Utes mailbag: With a gauntlet coming, what is the biggest game left on Utah's schedule?

SALT LAKE CITY — If you are of the belief the University of Utah football team's season is in an ominous position in spite of its 4-1 record, you may be correct for a number of reasons, but also consider, things could get worse.

Out of the bye week, Utah still has to travel to USC (Oct. 21), host Oregon (Oct. 28), and visit Washington (Nov. 11).

With one conference loss already, a second may very well dash hopes of returning to the Pac-12 championship game.

We'll start this Utes mailbag right there.

Q: "Given historical precedence, no team is making it through conference play undefeated. So we have to assume at least one loss for USC, Oregon and Washington. Given the loss Friday night, now what becomes the biggest game left on the schedule for Utah?" - @LondonUte

I could be lame and say the next game is the most-important game on the schedule, which is the correct answer, but I will spare you.

The biggest game left on the schedule is a trip to USC on Oct. 21, because assuming Utah beats Cal, it walks into the Coliseum as a road underdog in a game it absolutely has to have, just like it will likely have to have every game the rest of the way if it wants to return to the Pac-12 championship game.

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that when Utah visits the Trojans, not only is its season on the line, but so is the Rising era, which has seen two Pac-12 championships and subsequent trips to the Rose Bowl.

Q: "I'm not sure Cam coming back will solve an offense with so many issues, what do you think?" - @Patton5149

If and when Rising does return, no, the sixth-year senior is not going to solve every last issue facing this offense, but things will get better.

For starters, and this is no knock against Nate Johnson, but Rising has a deeper command of offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig's scheme, and thus more trust from his OC, which will be revealed in some of the play-calling we'll see for Rising.

Next, Rising presents a bigger threat to throw the ball, which is going to keep defenses more honest and not have the Utes' offense facing a loaded box has been the case lately. The run game needs to do its part there, but the point stands. Rising at quarterback will be more of a threat to throw (and complete a pass) than Johnson has been over the last two games.

As for the things Rising cannot fix, again, Utah needs a run game, the offensive line needs to be a little better, a viable pass-catching option at tight end would be helpful, and the receivers need to catch the ball, which was a glaring problem early in the Oregon State game.

Lastly, I personally think everyone's confidence will rise once Rising is back in action. That notion cannot be overstated, but it's also pretty hard to quantify. That will be an eye test thing once he's back out there, just as it was when Rising took over for Charlie Brewer in the third quarter of the infamous San Diego State game in 2021.

Q: "Are Whitt, Cam and Kuithe all just gaslighting us? It's starting to feel that way." - @ute2021

You're frustrated by what the messaging has been. I get it.

Going back to at least late winter, before spring practice started, Kyle Whittingham's stance on Rising was that they expected him to be ready for the opener. That went on, and on, and on, and once camp started, even though Rising was limited, the messaging was still that Rising might be ready.

As for Rising, in whatever limited media he has done, whether it be with reporters or his scheduled spot on ESPN 700, he too voiced confidence that would be ready for the opener and that he expected to play.

Rising, of course, did not play in the opener, and has not played yet, and the messaging throughout September is that he's close, and he's close, and he's close, and he needs final medical clearance. That's coming, right? And you're waiting, right? And Rising still hasn't played, so you're confused.

The only media I can remember Kuithe doing this whole time is an ESPN 700 spot where he also emitted confidence that he would return soon, but like Rising, he has not played a snap yet.

In a vacuum, the messaging has been awful and is not in line with what's actually taking place behind closed doors, but honestly, what did you think was going to happen?

Even if there was no way Rising was getting back for the opener, did you think Whittingham was going to say that? Should Rising not be voicing optimism? Should he voice frustration instead? Nothing that's gone on should be a big surprise.

My take: Utah does its best to insulate everything related to injuries, but that goes double when its two of your most-important, most-visible players. You're not being gaslit. Maybe you're being led astray a bit, but even that's a stretch. Welcome to college athletics, where protecting injury news is sometimes akin to protecting the nuclear codes.

Q: ​​"Josh, which of the new Big 12/16 mascots would win in a physical fight?" - @Fibby1123

This is easy.

My lone trip to West Virginia came in 2014 for a basketball game and I had a chance to meet the Mountaineer mascot, a student by the name of Michael Garcia. Very nice kid, but the outfit was definitely a little intimidating. The flannel shirt, the beard, the bearskin vest, the coonskin cap.

I would not mess with a native West Virginian, and I certainly would not mess with a native West Virginian with a rifle and a coonskin cap.

The Mountaineer's toughest fights would come from Pistol Pete (Oklahoma State, another guy with a weapon), Sparky the Sun Devil (Arizona State, carries a trident), and Raider Red (Texas Tech, does a "guns up" gesture with his hands).

I just don't think an animal mascot has any real chance against a human mascot with a weapon.

This got pretty weird, pretty fast. Next question.

Q: "Why did Whitt go all in on Rising and not find a serviceable QB from the transfer portal? Without bringing up the Brewer/Bentley situation." - @garrstew

We've been through this a lot, and it's getting pretty tiresome.

It was announced not long after the Rose Bowl that Rising would return for a sixth year. When Rising is ready to play, the offense is his, a notion made clear by Whittingham a handful of times during the offseason.

With that said, players often enter the transfer portal because they are unhappy with playing time, so if you are even a serviceable QB looking for an opportunity to play, why would Utah even be an option?

If a serviceable QB showed up here out of the portal, he would have to be OK with knowing that, even if you ascended to become the starter, at some point, you're still going to have a seat once the incumbent is ready. No portal QB wanting to play immediately is going to be good with that scenario.

Beyond that, at some point, Whittingham and Ludwig had to really see what they had in the room behind Rising, which meant giving young, inexperienced quarterbacks like Nate Johnson and Brandon Rose a legitimate shot, plus working Bryson Barnes into the mix.

I am a proponent of portal-diving for a QB if you need one. Utah was banking on Rising being back and ready by this point, and your room was well-stocked. There was no need to go portal-diving in this case.

Q: "Is there any teeny, tiny possibility that Rising could get a medical redshirt if he's not back soon?" - @Sip_Dhit

Another tiresome topic for the fans that believe this season is already a lost cause.

Let's take a quick trip through Rising's career in terms of eligibility.

• 2018 (Texas): Redshirt
• 2019 (Utah): Year in residency after transferring
• 2020: Free COVID year, per NCAA guidelines
• 2021: Fourth-year sophomore
• 2022: Fifth-year junior
• 2023: Sixth-year senior (used free COVID year to return)

If you want to know if there's a teeny, tiny chance of a return, then, yes, sure, there is a teeny tiny chance of a return, but I don't see it.

First, Utah would have to seek a medical waiver from the NCAA and have it approved. Receiving those for a seventh-year player does happen, but it is certainly not the norm.

Second, Rising is 24 years old, and will be 25 by the time the 2024 season begins. If he wants a legitimate shot at the NFL, the clock is ticking, a factor he and his inner circle are perfectly aware of.

I am working under the assumption this is Rising's final season at Utah; but in fairness, I was working under the same assumption last season, probably up until the middle of December during Rose Bowl prep. The tide turned very late on that one, so who really knows.

Honestly, nothing surprises me anymore in college sports.

Q: "Given this season's demons, do you think the team will secure bowl eligibility prior to Coach Sanders bringing the Buffs to RES?" - @jonnyell11

I get it, but what a wild question given what the expectations were when the season began.

It's tough to zero in on any sort of projection with Rising still out, but I'll play along. I feel confident that Utah will beat Cal on Oct. 14, and I think the Utes beat Arizona State at home on Nov. That gets you to six wins and bowl-eligibility before Colorado shows up here on Nov. 25.

As you look at the schedule and ponder this question for yourself, I really don't think a trip to Arizona on Nov. 18 is the automatic checkmark it's been in years past. That's a sneaky-tough ask if Utah isn't healthy, or at least healthier than it is now.

Q: "This *seems* like hindsight bias, but don't you think Whittingham should have committed to either Barnes or Johnson? Blame the receivers, but they need to have a rhythm with a QB too." - @Dancinest

I am not a fan of the two-QB thing that Utah went with vs. Florida and Baylor, and I'm even less of a fan when you're switching QBs in the middle of a series, but the situation here is a little more unique.

Nate Johnson's ability to run, his speed, and his elusiveness demanded he be on the field in some respect as the season began to unfold.

That two-QB setup, though, has turned messy. Barnes was benched late in the fourth quarter at Baylor. Johnson won that game late, then started vs. Weber State and UCLA, but was benched in favor of Barnes at Oregon State.

Whittingham has been consistent for a long time that he's going to play the QB who gives his team the best chance to win, but when you're benching a starter, then benching a different starter twice in four games, well, that's not great and it doesn't say a ton about the depth in the room behind Rising.

I will be curious to see what sort of role Johnson plays if and when Rising is ready to play.

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