OSU Football: Utah Players to Watch in Big 12 Opener
Oklahoma State faced some tough teams in nonconference, but its conference opener presents the toughest challenge yet.
On Saturday, OSU will welcome Utah to the Big 12 in the conference opener for both teams. The matchup of top 15 teams could be one of the most significant of the season.
With both teams hoping to compete for a Big 12 title and a trip to the College Football Playoff, Saturday’s game will feature some of the best players in the country,
Three Utah players to watch:
QB Cam Rising
Still dealing with an injury, Rising might not be 100% on Saturday, but he is expected to give it a go. One of the oldest quarterbacks in college football, Rising will be looking to play his first full game against an FBS team since the 2022 Pac-12 Championship.
7️⃣➡️8️⃣0️⃣ for a 29 yard TD pic.twitter.com/Qkqe9FTSQT
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 30, 2024
Considering his ability to be one of the best quarterbacks in the country, if Rising can play anything like himself, Utah could get a massive win. In the season opener against Southern Utah, Rising threw for 254 yards and five touchdowns.
TE Brant Kuithe
While Rising gets most of the buzz for being a seventh-year player, Kuithe is also in year seven, having played at Utah his entire career. He has had at least 200 receiving yards in every season he’s played, including two 600-yard seasons in 2019 and 2021.
BRANT LIFTS WEIGHTS 😤#GoUtes | @Brantkuithe14 pic.twitter.com/hjYkVQmjPO
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 30, 2024
This season, he’s made eight catches for 182 yards and three touchdowns. If he can continue to have solid production against the Cowboys, the Utes should be in a good position to escape Stillwater with a win.
RB Micah Bernard
Yes, another Utah player who began his career before the pandemic. Bernard has been a solid running back for the Utes throughout his career and might be having his best season yet.
.@ctb_mb punches it in 👊💥
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) September 14, 2024
📺: @CBSSportsNet #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/6KhEk6hjxb
Through three games, he has 41 rushes for 254 yards, good for 6.7 yards per carry. Averaging around 5 yards per carry throughout his time at Utah and typically being a reliable option in the passing game, Bernard should be key to Utaah’s offense on Saturday.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.