USC looks to beat Utah to command Pac-12 South

The Trojans will roll into Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday looking to extend their win streak to four, and to possibly secure a spot in the Pac-12 Championship game. It won’t be an easy task by any means; Rice-Eccles and its ear-splitting energy have famously been the bane of visiting Trojan squads in the past, and the Utes won’t be a pushover either.

Utah sits with the same 4-2 record as USC, coming off of an impressive upset of Stanford, which beat the Trojans, and a 32-point throttling of Arizona. The Trojans’ victory against Colorado last week was a huge step toward securing the Pac-12 South and a spot in the conference championship. After this week, the Trojans’ conference schedule appears to be an easy run of wins as they play Arizona State, Cal, Oregon State and UCLA. A win against a tough Utah team on the road this weekend will likely solidify USC as the champions of the south.

USC offense vs. Utah defense

The USC offense was almost entirely one dimensional last week as it shredded the Buffaloes in the deep passing game to the tune of 283 yards and three touchdowns through the air. The offensive line performed well in pass protection for the third-straight game, giving freshman quarterback JT Daniels clean pockets to work from all night. Daniels wasn’t perfect, but his connection with receivers junior Michael Pittman and redshirt sophomore Tyler Vaughns continued to progress, as he repeatedly kept the chains moving with passes downfield. Pittman stood out with five passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns.

“The thing I’ve been thoroughly impressed with [Daniels] is how fast he picks up playbook material,” Head coach Clay Helton said. “He’s so advanced mentally. He’s the main reason we’ve won the last three games against three quality teams.”

The run game, however, couldn’t find its rhythm, with the Trojans failing to net positive ground yardage in the first half, ending the game with only 51 rushing yards. The offensive line failed to create any sort of push off the ball making it difficult for both senior running backs Aca’Cedric Ware and sophomore Stephen Carr to find running lanes.

The Utes run defense is ranked No. 2 in the nation, giving up an average of only 74.8 rush yards a game. Utah plays with a stacked box, often leaving its defensive backs in man coverage with senior safety Marqise Blair playing single-high coverage deep.

“Because of the quality of free safety that we’re getting ready to play in Blair, [one important key for Daniels] is being really disciplined with [his] eyes,” Helton said. “If you give away your intentions, [Blair’s] got enough range and enough speed to pick any ball off even on one hop. It’s important that [Daniels] does not lock in on receivers.”

Although the Trojans will find it difficult to run against the physical Utah front seven, their scheme in the secondary leaves them prone to exploitation down the field via the passing game, with their No. 67-ranked pass defense. Look for Daniels to continue launching deep shots to Pittman, Vaughns and freshman receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to keep the chains moving.

Utah offense vs. USC defense

The Utah offense runs through junior Zach Moss. The running back has been following up his phenomenal campaign from last year with another strong season, with 617 rush yards on a healthy 5.6 yards per carry.

Junior quarterback Tyler Huntley throws the ball efficiently on a low volume of throws, working well with Moss and the run game, capitalizing on play action plays.

USC’s run defense has been impressive in recent weeks as they’ve held Colorado, Arizona and Washington State to under 100 rushing yards each. Although Moss and Utah’s physical offensive line provide a much higher degree of difficulty, the Trojan defense is well equipped to handle a run-first offense, given the health of linebackers freshman Palaie Gaoteote and senior Cameron Smith, who may not play Saturday.

“[Gaoteote is a] very smart and instinctive kid,” Helton said. “That linebacker position is like being a quarterback of the defense, and having to make calls and adjustments based on strength of formation. You’re literally a quarterback back there having to make those calls plus doing your own job.”

Though Utah’s passing offense isn’t as lethal, Huntley and his receivers can make big plays, especially when he’s given time in the pocket. USC rediscovered its pass rush on Saturday after it was practically nonexistent for weeks, racking up four sacks on the Buffaloes. However, in doing so, the Trojans lost their best pass-rusher in senior linebacker Porter Gustin, who will miss the rest of his senior season with a broken ankle.

The loss of Gustin is a huge blow to the defense, and it remains to be seen how it will fill the void of his absence on the pass rush. If the front seven can manage to step up, it’ll be huge for the Trojans’ chances.

“They are a very good third down and one to five team,” Helton said. “You try to get them to a third and seven plus, and try and make them to a drop back pass team. That is where we thrive defensively, because we have the pass rush skill to get to the quarterback.”

Injury report

Gaoteote has been cleared to play after suffering a concussion against Colorado. He practiced on Thursday but will be a gametime decision on Saturday, along with senior linebacker Cameron Smith. Smith is progressing and moving around well, according to Helton. Redshirt senior cornerback Jonathan Lockett will travel to Utah with the team but will also be a gametime decision.

Prediction: USC 28-Utah 21

Expect this to be a tough, gritty game. Rice-Eccles Stadium is one of the toughest venues to play in college football, and with a Pac-12 South title in the balance, expect the Utes crowd to bring the noise and make life difficult for the Trojans. However, USC is built to match the strengths and weaknesses of this Utah team, able to light it up passing downfield and able to play tough run defense. It’ll be a hard fought contest, but look for the Trojans to eke this one out as they take advantage of the Ute’s aggressive front seven and slow down Moss and the run game.

Steele decommits

Five-star cornerback Chris Steele from St. John Bosco High School decommitted on Thursday.

“I have decided that it would be best for me to decommit from USC and open up my recruitment so that I can find a place that will help me reach all the goals that I wish to accomplish,” Steele tweeted in his statement. “There is no love lost for USC, it’s my hometown school and they will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Nathan Hyun contributed to this report.