Utah's QB duo shines in win as Cam Rising eyes return to practice - ESPN

SALT LAKE CITY — Cam Rising jogged off the field at Rice Eccles Stadium with a broad smile and not a drop of sweat on his head. Rising, Utah's starting quarterback, didn't see the field Thursday night as he continued to recover from an offseason ACL surgery, but the Utes didn't miss him.

In their season opener against Florida — a rematch of last September's game in which the Gators won 29-26 in Gainesville — the Utes used a two-quarterback system to propel themselves to a 24-11 victory. They'll head into the second week of the season with a win under their belt and a healthier Rising.

«We want Cam back as soon as we can get him back,» head coach Kyle Whittingham said after the win. «He's been given more latitude in the last 48 hours, so he's gonna be able to practice essentially full on next week.»

Whittingham stopped short of saying Rising would be available to play, adding that though the two-year starter has made progress, the decision to keep him out of the opener was one that they delayed as much as they could in hopes that he could be ready.

In Rising's place, Whittingham and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig deployed a version of a two-quarterback system in which junior pocket-passer Bryson Barnes started the game while dynamic redshirt freshman Nate Johnson was also featured in special packages that resembled Wildcat formations.

Barnes said he knew about a week and a half ago that he would be starting.

«They're so different that you essentially have to have two plans when you're facing them,» said Whittingham, who credited the Utes' defense for the win. «It adds another dimension.»

While the Utes ran only 53 plays on offense Thursday night, both quarterbacks made the most of their appearances. Barnes, for his