Utah Football Shares When Bryson Barnes Got His Number Called Against WSU

SALT LAKE CITY – Remember last season when backup quarterback Bryson Barnes unexpectedly started against Washington State and it felt like Utah football’s playstyle transported back to 2013? So do we.

The Utes released video Friday afternoon of the exact moment Barnes and the rest of the team found out he would be the signal caller over starter Cam Rising. Adding to the mystique of the game and moment was the fact that Rising had been seen about 30 minutes before warming up out on the field.

As it turned out, Rising was still nursing an injury he sustained against USC two weeks before (Utah was coming off a BYE) and made the call it would be better for Barnes to lead the team. While certainly not a perfect performance and understandably so, Barnes and the Utes pulled out a gritty win against the Cougars, 21-17.

or was it the moment right before the game that we found out @bryson_barnes10 would lead us to victory? 🙌 pic.twitter.com/TvC0Mtsktr

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) June 23, 2023

Remembering The Hullabaloo Surrounding Utah Vs. WSU 2022

The sudden decision to start Barnes over Rising caused quite the controversy as it would turn out. FOX Sports was broadcasting the game remotely having not sent a live crew to Pullman for the game.

The broadcasters for that game felt they had information withheld from them, but Utah argued that Rising not starting was not their original game plan. The disagreement of what happened made some interesting sports news waves days after the fact.

Even though it was not the prettiest game the Utes played, Barnes received a lot of love for being prepared for the unexpected moment and coming through for his team. However, this wasn’t the first time the beloved pig farmer from Milford, Utah was lauded for handling a tough situation well.

 

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A post shared by Michelle Bodkin (@bodkinkslsports)

Many Ute and general college football fans alike will never forget when Barnes was quickly inserted into Utah’s first Rose Bowl appearance against Ohio State and nearly delivered the win after Rising exited with a concussion the season before.

Barnes was put in a nearly identical situation in Utah’s second Rose Bowl against Penn State to finish the 2022, but the results weren’t as good as his previous two outings. Still, looking at the video released by the Utes’ social media team, it is clear to see Barnes has the confidence of every person in the room.

Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for KSLsports.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @BodkinKSLsports

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