What TCU's Sonny Dykes said about Kyle Whittingham and Utah

Utes come into the game with new outlook and Isaac Wilson under center

Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Utah will face TCU in a key Big 12 showdown on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. However, the Utes will be without their starting quarterback, Cam Rising, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Rising’s absence places true freshman Isaac Wilson in the spotlight as the starting quarterback. Wilson, who has already appeared in five games this season, has thrown for 830 yards, six touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He has shown potential but has struggled with consistency, particularly in Utah's loss to Arizona, where he completed 20 of 40 passes for 280 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.

TCU head coach Sonny Dykes is no stranger to playing in Utah, having coached there previously during his time at California. He spoke highly of the Utes' passionate fanbase and the challenging environment at Rice-Eccles Stadium, describing it as one of the toughest venues in the Big 12. Dykes praised Utah’s home-field advantage, pointing out their impressive record in Salt Lake City. He also commended Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham for building a consistently competitive program over the past two decades.

"I was impressed with their fans, loud. I think we've prepared for that," Dykes noted at his press conference. "I think it's one of the best home field advantages in the Big 12. They've got a great record at home, they really play well on their home field and have traditionally been really difficult to beat there."

Despite the quarterback change, Dykes doesn’t anticipate major shifts in Utah’s offensive game plan. While Wilson may bring a slightly different style to the offense compared to Rising, Dykes noted that Wilson has already gained valuable experience this season. The TCU coach believes that the Utes’ offensive identity will remain largely intact, though Wilson's full week of preparation without splitting reps could benefit the young quarterback.

"I don't know how much different it's going to be for us from a preparation standpoint, but it will be a little bit," he said. "Wilson has had a lot of time. He's played a lot of snaps so it's not like he hadn't started games or played snaps. There's a little different offense when he's in the game, but at the end of the day they kind of do what they do."

"I think the fact he's got the whole week to prepare, that there's some clarity at that position probably helps them just because I'm guessing they were splitting reps since Cam has been trying to get healthy."

This game will be a significant test for Wilson, who will need to step up against a strong TCU defense. With Rising officially out, Utah will rely on Wilson's growth and composure as they continue their Big 12 campaign, looking to defend their home turf.