I was sold on Brewer after the Weber State game. And, as many have pointed out, the Utes ills are certainly not all on him. He is a very good QB (his numbers at Baylor are evidence of that). Unfortunately, regardless of who is to blame, the situation was not going well for him. I believe transferring was the best decision for him. He only has one more shot, and it is unlikely he would ever get the starting job back at the U (even with an injury to Rising, I could imagine the coaches might have gone to Jackson or Costelli before going back to Brewer).
But to your point about the “IT factor,” one thing that was noticeable, even during the Weber State game when times were good, is that Brewer did not seem to have a bond with the team. He seemed to often be alone on the sidelines. He did not seem to be a leader. He did not seem vocal. Of course, joining a team as a senior transfer for a one-and-done season does not lend itself well to bonding with the team or becoming a leader. Usually that type of role has to be earned over multiple years. So I do not necessarily fault him for that, I am more just pointing out the obvious that it is not an easy task to step into that situation and supplant guys that have been in the system and earning their time. Rising was obviously voted captain for a reason – because he has earned trust from teammates and shows leadership.
There is certainly a lesson to be learned in this for future transfer situations (not that I blame the coaches for going after Brewer, considering how much uncertainty there was with Rising’s shoulder and how we have had such bad luck at QB). On the other hand, senior QB transfers have worked out really well for some schools; and freshman also sometimes beat out upperclassmen, despite being new to the program. It can work out. But it takes a special situation. Let’s hope Rising stays healthy and the team steps up under his leadership.
Utah @ 
Colorado 
.
