Las Vegas Bowl: Cain gets final chance in the spotlight

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The darkness of one quarterback's season-ending shoulder surgery has provided another with a career-ending moment in the spotlight.

Relegated to a backup role for most of the last 11/2 seasons, Terrance Cain will start Dec. 22 in the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas because Jordan Wynn won't throw a football again until next May.

A senior, Cain owns a 9-1 record as a starter, including 2-0 earlier this season, when Wynn was also injured.

In Utah's season-ending 17-16 win over BYU, however, Cain struggled.

Given a chance to jump-start the Utes' sputtering offense in the third quarter against their arch-rival, he completed only 2 of 7 passes for eight yards.

Worse, Cain threw two interceptions before coach Kyle Whittingham went back to Wynn, who helped rally Utah from a 13-0 deficit.

"I don't think any of us on the offensive side of the ball feel great about the way we played against BYU," said coordinator Aaron Roderick. "... I think Terrance, like all of us, is looking forward to another chance."

Said Whittingham: "... He has a good track record as a starting quarterback, so this is a good opportunity for him, in his last game as a Ute."

After Utah's opening 27-24 overtime win over Pittsburgh, Cain started the Utes' next two games against UNLV and New Mexico.

He put up ridiculous numbers.

In lopsided wins, Cain completed 33 of 43 passes for 455 yards and five touchdowns.

Granted, the Rebels and Lobos finished with a combined 3-22 record this season, and had defenses that allowed 39.7 and 43.3 points per game, respectively.

Still, Cain was ready, which translates into the confidence of his teammates headed into the bowl game against Boise State.

"... He knows how to win, he knows how to prepare and he knows how to do the job," said senior center Zane Taylor.

"He's been the back-up this year, I guess, because Jordan has been slightly better. But by a very small margin.

"So we're looking at a quarterback who's just as good, who will be just as prepared. So I'm not worried at all going into this game."

Cain is more mobile than Wynn and the numbers indicate Utah doesn't throw the ball as much when when he plays.

In his two starts, the Utes averaged 21.5 pass attempts.

In their other 10 games, they averaged 33.1 passes.

Still, Roderick said, "I've always thought we're not that much different with Terrance at quarterback. He might be a bit of a better runner, but we won't change our offense of what we do. ... We'll stick with the things that have worked all year."

For his part, Cain simply wants to take advantage of the opportunity he's gotten in his final game -- his last chance in the spotlight.

"I'm excited, playing with my boys one last time," Cain said. "That's the most important thing. Just prepare and play hard and don't let them down."