EUGENE, Ore.—Utah’s contest Saturday against No. 6 Oregon was a game of give-and-take on the injury front.
In battling against the Ducks, the Utes were without starting quarterback Travis Wilson, but welcomed the unexpected return of tight end Jake Murphy. Despite Utah’s loss, the team saw nice production from both Adam Schulz and Murphy.
On the quarterback front, Wilson did not travel to Eugene because of a head injury he suffered against Arizona State on Nov. 9. Utes’ head coach Kyle Whittingham said the team would discuss more specifics about Wilson’s condition on Monday.
“All that matters right now to us is his health,” Whittingham said. “Whether or not he plays is not a factor. It’s Travis and his health overall.”
Whittingham said Schulz will be the starting quarterback until further notice. The sophomore made his first career start Saturday and finished 13-of-30 with 181 yards, one interception, two rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown.
His lone passing score went to a wide open Murphy, who had been sidelined since breaking his wrist against UCLA on Oct. 3. Murphy was expected to miss the rest of the season, but was ready to go against Oregon after extensive rehab.
“We love it,” Schulz said of Murphy’s return. “Without our tight end, we have less formations and less things we can do. He brings another threat to the table. When he was healthy, he was killing it. Now he’s back. First game back he gets [a touch- down]. Obviously he is a big impact.”
Murphy’s return was a big plus for a team that, coming into the season, felt its tight end play was one of its most effective offensive weapons. When Westlee Tonga got injured against BYU and Murphy got hurt in the Utes’ next game, that strength became a weakness.

Murphy finished Saturday with two receptions for 43 yards, and both plays came in crucial moments. The first was an impressive nine-yard catch for a first down on third-and-5 in the second quarter. Murphy’s next reception came on the same drive and went for a 34- yard touchdown that pulled Utah to within three, 10-7.

“I felt good today,” Murphy said. “I had to do a lot of weeks of rehab, and it was hard to come back, but all the work I did paid off. It was probably one of the hardest times of my foot- ball career being gone the past few weeks […] Getting catches compared to watching the away games in my apartment felt good. It doesn’t feel good having the loss.”

Now with just two games remaining, the Utes need to win both contests to qualify for a bowl game. Whittingham feels that Murphy’s return can play a key role in making that happen.

“When he is healthy, he is one of the best weapons we have on offense,” Whittingham said. “He just makes us better.”
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