Week 7 of the college football season is here and despite there being only five games this weekend in the Big 12, there is still plenty on the line with conference play in full swing. One of the most important games of the weekend took place in Tempe, Arizona as the Arizona State Sun Devils hosted the Utah Utes.
Arizona State is fresh off a win against Kansas while Utah lost to Arizona at home. Both teams were looking to avoid an early second loss, but it was Arizona State who came out on top 27-19. Here are my three takeaways from the game.
Cam Rising is Not Healthy
My big takeaway from watching Utah tonight is that quarterback Cam Rising is not healthy at all. It’s been over a month since we last saw him in action due to a hand injury but on Friday night his hand was not the issue. Cam was limping quite a bit, and you could tell how limited he was when moving around in the pocket or trying to escape pressure.
He was definitely a step or two slower than normal and it really affected the way he threw the football. Many times, he didn’t have enough power in his throws to hit his receivers and he ended up completing less than 44% of his passes and threw three interceptions. I know backup quarterback Isaac Wilson was healthy and I was a little surprised to see him stay on the sidelines while Rising was struggling so much. Utah is still a good football team, but they just need someone to manage the game at quarterback and we haven’t seen that since the Baylor game back when Cam Rising was fully healthy.
Cam Skattebo For Heisman
There are a lot of great running backs in the conference but the one guy who doesn’t get talked about nearly enough is Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo. Against an excellent Utah defense, Cam ran wild for 158 yards and two touchdowns. His 47-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter gave the Sun Devils a 27-19 lead with less than three minutes to play.
Not only did he get the job done on the ground but also in the passing game as he finished second on the team with four catches for 41 yards. Whether it’s running the football or catching it, Cam always seems to make things happen. He is the engine of the Arizona State offense and without him, I am not sure where they would be. I know his numbers won’t jump off the page at some people, but he really should be in the Heisman conversation after this game.
Who Likes Surprises?
Coming into the season, these two teams couldn’t have been more different. Utah was picked to win the Big 12 while Arizona State was picked to finish dead last. Yet here we are in mid-October and the script has been completely flipped. Arizona State is now 5-1 after the win and are just one victory away from becoming bowl eligible. In fact, it is likely that they will get their sixth win next week against Cincinnati. And if that happens, then head coach Kenny Dillingham should be considered for Big 12 coach of the year.
As for Utah, they now have two losses in conference play and still have some tough games ahead of them. They still have to play BYU, Colorado, and Iowa State in the next five weeks, which means that they would have to finish the year without suffering another loss. This team may not be completely out of the Big 12 title race, but another loss may keep them away from Arlington, which would be a huge disappointment considering the expectations for this team coming into the year.
