SALT LAKE CITY — Brant Kuithe waited nearly two years to return to the field after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2022.

And what an achievement for the experienced tight end.

Kuithe was untouchable against a Southern Utah defense that forgot about him time and again, leading to three first-half touchdowns — a hat trick — en route to a 49-0 victory for No. 12 Utah in the team’s season opener.

The Katy, Texas native scored his first touchdown on a fake handoff from Cam Rising to Mike Mitchell that caught the entire Thunderbirds defense off guard and allowed Kuithe to catch a touchdown from 29 yards.

For good measure, Rising found Kuithe wide open again on Utah’s next possession for an 18-yard touchdown, giving the Utes an early 21-0 lead. Kuithe saved his best for last when he caught a 10-yard pass at the 1-yard line, then forced his way inside against four defenders to complete the hat trick.

Kuithe finished the game with four catches for 69 yards and three touchdowns in his first game back with Utah in two quarters before being substituted before halftime. With the hat trick, Kuithe also became the first tight end in Big 12 history to score three touchdowns in a half.

And while Kuithe was a seasoned player who had known Utah over the years, it was freshman Dijon Stanley who emerged as the star of the game.

Stanley showed his speed early in the game with a perfectly executed wheel route, giving Rising all day to run the ball down the sideline with no one around, resulting in a 64-yard touchdown and the first score of the season.

He followed it up with a 79-yard touchdown on another wheel route in the second quarter to give Utah a 28-0 lead with nine minutes left in the first half. The touchdown pass gave Rising his 50th career passing touchdown, surpassing Alex Smith (47) and Mike McCoy (49) to move him into fourth place all-time at Utah.

Rising scored his fifth touchdown (Kuithe’s last score) of the night, setting a new personal best. He became the first quarterback since Travis Wilson to throw five touchdowns in a single game.

The senior quarterback finished the night with 254 passing yards and five touchdowns on 10 of 15 passing before watching from the sidelines late in the first half. He even added 25 rushing yards on four attempts in his first action on the field since the 2023 Rose Bowl.

Freshman backup Isaac Wilson entered the game just before the end of the half, taking a sack on his first play and ending the quick drive with an interception. But Wilson braced himself to start the second half, leading Utah on a 12-play, 57-yard touchdown drive that was capped by a 4-yard rushing touchdown by redshirt freshman Mike Mitchell.

After throwing his second interception of the night, Wilson came back and completed a 20-yard touchdown pass to former basketball player Caleb Lohner on the ensuing drive — the first touchdown for either player at the college level.

Wilson finished the night with 74 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions on 7 of 11 passing.

This story is being updated.