3 unforgettable moments from Utah’s season-opening win that paint a bright offensive future

It didn’t take long for Utah to show off what it’s been missing for nearly two years when quarterback Cam Rising and tight end Brant Kuithe are on the field together.

The return of Rising and Kuithe from injury headlined a runaway 49-0 win over Southern Utah on Thursday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Here are three moments that stood out from No. 12 Utah’s season opener and showed what could be in store for the Utes’ offense in the future.

Rising-to-Kuithe a smashing success

Rising was brilliant in his return to the field for Utah. He also made some personal history.

Rising threw a career-high five touchdowns, helping the Utes find the end zone during his five possessions on the field.

The senior completed 10 of 15 passes for 254 yards and finished with a 318.9 QB rating.

He also added 25 rushing yards on four carries, though perhaps at the expense of some tense moments for fans and coaches who would like to see Rising stay healthy and not take as many hits.

Rising also passed Ute legend Alex Smith for career touchdown passes, and is now fourth in program history. He’s up to 51 career touchdown passes after the five-TD effort.

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Kuithe also made the most of his touches.

He caught four passes for 69 yards in his first game in nearly two years, turning three of those catches into touchdowns of 29, 18 and 11 yards in the second quarter.

The final touchdown from Kuithe, with 1:08 to play in the first half, was particularly impressive.

Kuithe caught the pass from Rising at the SUU 4, fought through a couple initial tackle attempts, then spun off a defender and fought through two more tackle attempts before diving into the end zone.

The night showcased the kind of connection that Rising and Kuithe have, and what it could mean to their quest for reaching the College Football Playoff in the Utes’ first season in the Big 12.

The Dijon Stanley show

For Utah fans not as familiar with sophomore running back Dijon Stanley, Thursday night’s game provided an excellent introduction.

Stanley scored two long touchdowns in the first half, both on wheel routes that Rising timed perfectly, hit Stanley in stride and let the 6-foot back take care of the rest.

The first turned into a 64-yard touchdown for Utah’s first score of the season, with 8:46 left in the first quarter.

With 9:06 remaining in the second quarter, Rising again hit Stanley for a long touchdown, this one from 79 yards, a touchdown that gave Utah a 28-0 lead.

Stanley also ended up with a team-high 34 rushing yards on six carries.

Those long touchdown receptions, in particular, showed off what Stanley can do with his speed.

What did Isaac Wilson show in his debut?

With Rising and the Utah offense getting the Utes off to such a quick start, that allowed for true freshman Isaac Wilson to receive extensive playing time.

The former Corner Canyon High star earned the backup job during fall camp, and he entered the game in the final minute of the first half and quarterbacked six possessions.

It wasn’t always pretty — and it shouldn’t be expected, considering this was his first college action, mere months after wrapping up his high school career — but Wilson has some highlight moments.

The best was a 20-yard touchdown strike to basketball forward-turned-tight end Caleb Lohner in the early moments of the fourth quarter.

That was not only Wilson’s first touchdown pass as a Ute, it was also Lohner’s first catch for Utah after joining the program following four seasons of playing basketball at both Baylor and BYU.

Wilson also guided a third-quarter touchdown drive — capped by a 4-yard Mike Mitchell TD run — that included the freshman converting a fourth-down attempt via the air. At one point, he also showed off his legs with a 22-yard run.

There were some learning moments: Wilson took a sack on his first snap, and he threw two interceptions — one on his third play, and another in the end zone to halt a promising drive.

Still, the night gave Utah and its fans the chance to see what the Utes’ future could hold with a local talent leading the offense once Rising’s time is over.

Wilson finished the game completing 7 of 11 passes for 74 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. He also ran for 21 yards on five carries.