CINCINNATI — The Bearcats will be without their top offensive weapon Saturday night when they face No. 24 Utah, as senior running back Evan Pryor has been ruled out with an ankle injury.

Pryor, who transferred from Ohio State and leads No. 17 Cincinnati with 478 rushing yards and a blistering 7.2 yards per carry, suffered the injury in last week’s win over Baylor. He was spotted in a walking boot earlier this week and will be officially listed as out on the Big 12 availability report.

Head coach Scott Satterfield confirmed Pryor’s absence, but there’s optimism he could return for the Nov. 15 home showdown against Arizona — a game that could carry major postseason implications.

In Pryor’s absence, Cincinnati will turn to Wisconsin transfer Tawee Walker, who’s quietly racked up 466 yards and averages 5.2 per carry. Walker started earlier this season and now steps into the spotlight against a Utah defense ranked top-25 nationally.

The Bearcats (6–2, 4–1 Big 12) have a bye week following the trip to Salt Lake City, giving Pryor extra time to recover before the final stretch.

This article originally appeared in its entirety as a feature on BCSNN.