Isaac Wilson makes Utes history with win over No. 14 Oklahoma State

STILLWATER, Okla. — With veteran quarterback Cam Rising out for the second straight week, No. 12 Utah turned to backup quarterback Isaac Wilson on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium and then relied on the true freshman passer to pull off a commanding win in the program's first Big 12 game.

In his second career start, Wilson completed 17 of 29 passes for 207 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, providing a number of key moments and helping the Utes to a 22-19 victory over No. 14 Oklahoma State, becoming the first true freshman starting quarterback in program history to beat an AP Top 25 opponent.

“I like that he just stuck it out and never got discouraged,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “He intercepted a couple of balls. He didn't flinch. You saw his running ability. He made that 40- or 50-yard run. That was huge at that point. He put his shoulder down and made another tough run in the red zone that got us a first down. He's just a fighter.”

Ahead of one of the most highly anticipated games in the 2024 Big 12 schedule, ESPN reported Saturday that Rising's participation against Oklahoma State would not be decided until shortly before the game. The seventh-year passer has not played since injuring his throwing hand on Sept. 7 against Baylor. Wilson made his first career start in Week 3 against Utah State and completed 20 of his 33 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns in Rising's place during a 38-21 road victory.

Whittingham told reporters that the two quarterbacks split workouts during Utah's preparation for Oklahoma State in Week 3. On Saturday, Rising wore a protective glove on his throwing hand and completed pregame warmups as the starter before the Utes made the decision to start Wilson in a top-15 matchup of Big 12 College Football Playoff contenders.

“When he's ready, he'll be ready,” Whittingham said of Rising's status. “That's all I can say. We were hoping he would be ready this week.”

“It was literally a game-time decision,” Whittingham continued. “Not on game day, but during the game. We came into the locker room after warmups, had a quick meeting and decided Isaac was the one who gave us the best chance to win. Cam agreed. That's what we did and that's the direction we went.”

Whittingham said Utah was “without question” the more physical team Saturday after the Utes beat Oklahoma State 249-48 on the ground and held the ball for 42:26 of the game. Sixth-year running back Micah Bernard led the ground attack, rushing for a career-high 182 yards, becoming the first Utah runner to surpass 150 yards since Zack Moss rushed for 160 yards against Stanford in 2018.

But the play of Wilson, the brother of former BYU and current Denver Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson, was crucial in the win that further cemented the Utes' position as early favorites for the Big 12 this fall.

Isaac Wilson, a Utah high school state champion and the 13th-best pocket passer in the class of 2024 according to ESPN, began his second career start for the Utes with two incomplete passes before Oklahoma State safety Trey Rucker intercepted Wilson's first downfield throw of the day, ending Utah's second offensive series.

The rocky start offered a glimpse into Wilson's poise and maturity. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound playmaker completed 11 of his next 14 passes after the interception, including five passes of 15 yards. Wilson's commanding play in the fourth quarter made the difference on a 45-yard touchdown throw to tight end Brant Kuithe that proved to be the game-winning touchdown before the Utes held off a late comeback attempt by Oklahoma State.

But Wilson's best moments came when the young passer used his legs. On fourth and short in the second quarter, Wilson burst through Cowboys cornerback Korie Black and kept alive an 11-play, 62-yard touchdown drive that took 6:28 to play.

Wilson showed off his speed a few minutes after halftime when he left the pocket and outran the Oklahoma State defense on a 48-yard run. He used his legs again in the fourth quarter for a fourth-down attempt, another in a series of crucial plays Wilson made on a day in which Utah converted four of its five fourth-down attempts and beat its first top-15 opponent since 2018.

“The team trusts me, so I have to do something,” Wilson said when asked where he gets his confidence from in pressure situations. “They basically gave us no coverage at all the whole game. Nobody was fighting me. So when I came out of that situation, I knew it was going to be this time.”

Utah's smooth transition at the quarterback position was in stark contrast to the quarterback debacle that unfolded on the other sideline on Saturday.

Oklahoma State's seventh-year quarterback Alan Bowman completed four of his first 10 throws, but then only completed two of his next 12 attempts before halftime. He finished the first half 8 of 22 passing for 89 yards and one interception. With the Cowboys trailing 10-3 at halftime, coach Mike Gundy opened the second half with redshirt sophomore quarterback Garret Rangel at quarterback in the middle of the field.

In the four series led by Rangel, the Cowboys gained 32 yards and a first down on 15 plays as Utah built a 22-3 lead early in the fourth quarter. Bowman later re-entered the game with 9:26 left and was intercepted on his second series before completing his final eight passes for two touchdowns as Oklahoma State mounted a late comeback, gaining 127 yards on its final two offensive plays.

The Cowboys' offense, which exploded in the final period, only added to the confusion of a unit that struggled so mightily in the first 55 minutes. Despite Bowman's inconsistent performance and his temporary substitution, Gundy signed the veteran passer as Oklahoma State's starter as the Cowboys await a game against No. 13 Kansas State in Week 5.

“Sometimes you have to take a guy out and calm him down a little bit,” Gundy said. “I just felt like we weren't playing well and we needed a backup pitcher. Bring somebody else in. And Garret had a rough day. So you switch back.”