Utah quarterback Brandon Rose has suffered a season-ending lower leg injury, coach Kyle Whittingham announced on Tuesday night.
Isaac Wilson, who started five games for the Utes before being benched in the third quarter of Utah’s loss to Houston, will start for the team against Colorado. Luke Bottari, the only other quarterback left on the roster without a season-ending injury, will be Wilson’s backup.
Rose made his first start as a Ute in the team’s 22-21 loss to BYU on Saturday, sparking the offense in the first half. The sophomore quarterback completed 12 of 21 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns. He threw one interception, which Whittingham said wasn’t his fault and was due to a receiver running the wrong route.
Rose’s running ability also shined, as he ran for 55 yards, including a 27-yard designed run that woke up the offense, which took a 21-10 lead into the locker room at halftime. Utah’s offense failed to score a point in the second half, however, partly due to execution and partly due to what could be considered conservative play-calling in the fourth quarter.