Extra Innings: It’s going to be a blowout in Utah’s favor


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As I gear up for a trip to Salt Lake City to cover USC’s matchup against the Utes, I can’t help but have an overwhelming feeling of foreboding. I can easily see this game being a combination of two of my least favorite aspects of sports: blowouts and injuries.

The loss of senior linebacker Porter Gustin and the possibility of not having senior linebacker Cameron Smith, both due to injury, are not only a significant loss from both a leadership and talent perspective, but also an injustice to the game of football.

Both players are captains who have a magnificent knowledge of the game and have aided some of the younger guys on the squad. They have been one of the primary reasons USC’s defense is so solid, not to mention the fact that Gustin has seven sacks, while the rest of the team combined have six. Moreover, USC’s defense has kept the team in countless games this season. USC could have beaten Stanford if the offense managed to score points; Arizona could have been a loss if the Trojans didn’t make several key defensive stops and Washington State was a field goal away from handing the Trojans a key Pac-12 defeat. The offense is very fortunate to have a defense that busts its butts to keep the team in the game.

From the other side: If you are Utah, do you want to beat a Trojan team missing two of its best players? No. Sports fans should want to see the best competition from both sides go head-to-head and battle it out to claim the top of the Pac-12 South, but unfortunately I don’t think we are going to see that this weekend. The lack of key defensive players this week will most likely lead to USC’s demise.

I’ve said this in many columns this year: The USC offense has the talent; it just needs to pull it all together. The Trojans need to get the running and passing game going at the same time. The offense looked extremely dominant in the first half against Colorado; several deep passes from freshman quarterback JT Daniels reconciled his early turnover troubles and led to a 21-point half. However, many people overlook the fact that USC posted a fat zero in the rushing yards column in the first 30 minutes. That cannot happen, especially not when a team has a trio of running backs who have shown they know how to be dominant.

Doubling down, Utah is second in defensive rankings, allowing an average of just 74.8 rushing yards per game. Fortunately for USC, Daniels and his wide receivers should be able to find some long gains on deep passes against the Utes. Regardless, the one dimensional offensive approach will likely not be enough to best Utah, especially in Salt Lake City.

I am not blaming the offense but commending the defense. The offense is young and inexperienced; consistency shouldn’t be expected. But if the Trojans want to win this weekend, they will have to pull something together.

If the Trojans want to hold a close matchup in this game, the offense needs to figure it out now. I would love to see a shootout. I would love to see the Trojans and the Utes take turns demonstrating fantastic offensive drives, but right now I don’t see that happening. With USC’s losses, it doesn’t look like the defense will be able to hold the incohesive offense in the game. That is why I’m projecting a blowout in favor of the Utes.

This game is crucial in determining the remainder of the season. USC is likely to run the table in its final Pac-12 games, even without Gustin. In the remaining games, there is no conference competition that should scare USC. A win in Utah will almost certainly allow USC to clinch a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game. As head coach Clay Helton always says, “USC can control its own destiny.”

Sam Arslanian is a sophomore majoring in journalism. He is also the sports editor of the Daily Trojan. His column, “Extra Innings,” runs Fridays.