It’s your turn, Luke Bottari.
With Cam Rising, Brandon Rose, Sam Huard and now Isaac Wilson all injured and done for the season, the Utes will put the ball in the hands of their fifth-string senior on Friday evening against UCF.
How to watch Utah vs. UCF
At FBC Mortgage Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Kickoff: Friday at 6 p.m.
TV: FOX
Radio: ESPN 700
Bottari has been in this position before, leading the team to a win against Colorado last season. And it was Bottari, not Wilson, who led Utah’s best drives last week against Iowa State.
“Luke Bottari came in and really provided a spark,” head coach Kyle Whittingham said. “For a guy that started the season as the fifth-string guy and didn’t have a whole lot of chance to play, he continued to keep himself ready every single week in case. Last week was the week that he got his opportunity. He really did some good things, came in and provided a spark for us.”
Neither the Utes (4-7, 1-7) nor the Knights (4-7, 2-7) will have anything to play for besides pride with the possibility of playing in a bowl game now gone.
Whittingham expects UCF to test Utah’s defense.
“Central Florida is really potent on offense, leading the conference offensively,” the coach said. “They’re running the ball exceptionally well, as is the case with any Gus Malzahn team.”
But it’s the future that currently poses the biggest questions for the Utes.
This week, Whittingham said he will soon evaluate whether to return for his 21st season as Utah’s head coach.
Rising, meanwhile, is expected to announce whether he’ll be returning for an eighth season of college football in the coming days.
Whittingham emphasized the importance of figuring out the team’s quarterback situation this offseason.
“We’ve got to solve our quarterback problems, I can tell you that. That has been a difficult thing this year,” he said. “Quarterback, as I’ve said over and over, is the most important position in football and in team sports period. You better be good there if you want to have a chance to win. So we’ve got to evaluate; just like I’ve got to evaluate my situation, we’ve got to evaluate the quarterback situation and make sure we have ourselves covered for next year.”
On Friday, Bottari will be backed up by junior Dallen Engemann, a Timpview High product who previously played for Santa Ana College.
“That’s all she wrote after those two,” Whittingham said. “I don’t have a good answer. I hope it doesn’t come to beyond that.”