If Cam was to play – how much difference would it make?

[ProudUte]

Let’s assume that Cam plays in the Cal game, but no other offensive starters come back; i.e., Kuithe, Jackson, Pittman, etc. How much of a difference would a “healthy” Cam make?

Of course – no one knows, but I think we all have our own thoughts. Here are mine.

I am sure we would see some improvement in the offensive production. Cam will likely make better decisions and his passes would be more on target. On top of that – the defense would likely not stack the box as much. So, yes I believe there would be improvement.

That being said, I think our offensive issues are much more than just missing Cam Rising. Our line has not been great, our RB situation is bad, our receivers have dropped too many balls and they do not appear to be getting open.

So, we got less than 200 yards in offense against OSU (terrible). I think with Cam and no one else – we may have got around 300 yards.

[alexsmith]

I think we have a pretty decent jump. 7 points a game in PAC 12 play is pretty bad. If we compare it to 2021 when rising took over, we see the difference immediately. I would say our weapons are fairly equal at the WR spot, running back is definitely a step back from 2021 TT, but if we can get Jackson back then maybe we can be comparable enough. Do I think we all of the sudden jump back up to scoring 40 points a game? Definitely not. But with the defense we have, we really only need about 28 and I think Cam is able to make that difference

[AlohaUte]

I think it would be a huge difference. Maybe not as great as an offense as last year, but solid. He has command of the offense, is confident, and the team is more confident with him there.

[Charlie]

Cam, much like other seasoned elite QBs, would make quite a difference. Not only the QB decisions and passes, but the RBs would look incrementally better, also the WRs, also the OL. I feel a basic football fundamental, for all positions defense and offense, is to create a second or two of making others expect A when you plan to do B. This is true in the trenches, in routes, in coverages. Conversely, when your opponent knows your plan presnap, it becomes very difficult to be successful. Cam may take a game to get up to speed but when he does even the OL will look like a better group because of the options the offense will have.

[DrahtUte]

I think he’d make a big difference just because of his ability to complete pre-snap reads of the defense and check out of plays.

He likely can’t run like he used to but everything else he still brings to the offense would be huge.

[Yergensen]

I’ve shared these numbers previously. Cam led offense historically has scored on average 38.5 points per game. Our backups have averaged 25 points per game (thru FL game) a 2 TD difference. Even assuming Cam’s productivity drops due to immobility and personnel, the backup drop in productivity has probably been even greater over the past 4 games, down 10 points per game to 14.5 points. So, that 2 TD bump Cam has given us in the past would at a minimum get us close to 30 points per game relative to what the backups have done as of late. With this defense, we would all take that to the bank right now.

[Ghost of the HEB]

Last season with Cam at the helm, we were top 20 in most offensive statistics. Now we are ranked 100+ in most offensive statistics.

Can post-ACL Cam&Brant get us back to a top 20 offense with no Kincaid, no Bernard, banged up JJ, and shaky O-line play? Probably not. But it should be a significant improvement. And a decent offense paired with this defense is a very good team.

[Tony (admin)]

I think his ability to make a difference will partly be limited by the following: offensive line blocking which hasn’t been good. Receivers catching balls that hit them in the hands. RB productions.

The ways I think Cam will make a difference is in reading defenses and calling audibles at the line to exploit what the D is showing. Quicker reads. More accuracy. Checking down targets.

[UtesRule]

According to guys who have played D1 football and in the NFL (Riley Jensen, Nate Orchard, Scott Mitchell, Lincoln Kennedy), it will make a HUGE difference.

I think if Cam comes back for the Cal game, along with a few other key guys, Utah still has a shot to 3-Peat.

[22Ute22]

Even assuming that he is nowhere near as fast or mobile, he still makes the team way better. He would recognize coverages and blitzes pre-snap and react accordingly. He would create a downfield passing threat that would force teams to not stack the box, thereby improving the running game. An experienced, veteran QB makes a huge difference over the other guys we have.

[HPrete22]

Recall when Cam took Bentley’s spot against San Diego State. I don’t think there was a huge talent gap between them, but the team plays way better when Cam is on the field. When Bentley was QB1, Cam was still a captain for the team. Cam is a leader who adds much energy to the team, and that’s why I think he was better than Bentley. But in this case, there IS a big talent gap between QB1 and QB2, so I think the impact Cam will have if he comes back will be huge. Hopefully he gets healthy soon.

[RedUte14]

it was Brewer.

[EagleMountainUte]

Immediately? I am not sure. I will admit to knowing nothing about Cal’s defense.

I hope that Rising could bring some sort of stabilization to the offense. It really seems like something beyond the qb position. But sometimes a change can fix a lot of things at that position.

I still feel like mobility is necessary for whoever runs the offense.

[Roy Rangum]

I think it will be night and day. Having a QB that can throw will immediately take the pressure off the O-line and improve the run game, as the defense will have to cover the whole field instead of just stacking the box.

[CityCreekUte]

Assuming little or no rust we score 30+ a game.

[Caliman]

with CR back, utah beats everyone except Oregon and UW.