Cam Rising 'Fairly Smart' with Running Decisions against Southern Utah

Beloved QB Cam Rising's return was met with thunderous applause and he returned the favor with an electric and rather historic first-half performance against Southern Utah University. The 5th year field general achieved two major milestones through the air, but he also displayed his improved health on the ground.

While the focus was on Rising's 5 touchdowns and his passing of Alex Smith on the all-time Utah QB touchdowns list, he also went for 25 yards on the ground on 4 carries, and he wasn't afraid to take a hit or two in the process.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham expressed his displeasure with the contact Rising took on in his post-game interview, but in the presser leading up to the Baylor game, Coach Whitt revised his opinion on Rising's run game after being able to view the footage.

"He was fairly smart most of the time, his competitive mentality comes out in those situations and he wants to get that extra yard. When he's in the lineup we're obviously a much better football team, so we don't want to beat it to death," Whittingham said.

This week's game against Baylor will most likely see the starters stay out on the field longer than just a half, and as a result, Rising will most likely have to be a little more careful with his running approach, but he has shown that if it is needed, he can get the yards and move well enough to help the team while doing his best to stay out of harm's way.

Related: Utah Transfer DB Kenan Johnson Confirmed Out for the Season