USC’s season hangs in the balance with matchup against Utah

When Colorado’s beloved mascot, Ralphie, rushed the field last Saturday, it told the tale of a USC team that would do all the rushing — 218 yards to be exact — in its dominant win.  

Through five games, we’ve seen two versions of this squad. The one that’s been victorious on the road, and the other that’s been, well, not as victorious at home.

On the road, USC performs like Alabama, dominating opponents for the most part. And at home, the Trojans perform like a high school varsity team, outmatched by opponents who seem more prepared and willing to fight. 

It’s frustrating for Trojan fans, but it’s what USC football has become: always unpredictable and fairly never reliable. 

Much is still left in the air in terms of Pac-12 supremacy. USC’s matchup against Utah Saturday will be a true test to see if maybe, just maybe, this squad can turn a 3-2 start into a memorable season. 

The Trojans had their chance against Oregon State after a strong performance on the road against Washington State. We all know how that went, as the Beavers notched 535 total yards to steamroll through USC. 

Utah has been alright at best, securing wins against Washington State and Weber State University and taking close losses to BYU and San Diego State. The Utes have allowed only 304 yards per game, second-best in the Pac-12, and held the Cougars to 26 points, their second-lowest total of the season. 

It’s a tough matchup, but one USC can’t afford to lose, not now, not next week or the week before. 

Traveling to Notre Dame after a bye week and losing to Utah is not an ideal situation. USC can find itself below a .500 win percentage before playing Pac-12 South foes like Arizona and Arizona State in back-to-back weeks. 

If the Trojans drop this game against Utah, consider their season done. No more hype for interim Head Coach Donte Williams, no bowl game to salvage an already deplorable season and no more stating USC is a perfect gig for coaches. 

If the Trojans drop this game against Utah, consider their Pac-12 race finished, along with their Pac-12 Championship hopes, USC fans’ visions of tailgates at Allegiant Stadium and dreams of USC winning its first conference title since 2017. 

It’s all or nothing Saturday, and nothing can’t be an option. 

A lot hangs in the balance for USC when it comes to Saturday’s game against Utah. The Utes are the first team the Trojans will face from the Pac-12 South. Dropping this game puts them in a precarious position in their division, where they’ll need other schools to defeat the leaders in the South.

(Remember, the Pac-12 championship is between the Pac-12 North and South champion.)

As of now, Arizona State seems to be the best in the South, especially after its strong victory against UCLA last weekend. The Sun Devils and Bruins will test the Trojans with their dynamic run game, and just ask fans at the Oregon State game how much USC struggles with that. Losing to either one of those schools immediately eliminates USC from a shot at the championship game. 

Those two games against Arizona State and UCLA are must-wins, but, for now, the least USC can do is beat Utah Saturday. It goes back to the main point of my column — even though the Trojans 3-2 record looks bleak, they are in charge of their own destiny. 

It’s all about going 1-0 Saturday, the mantra that Williams and many players have adopted. I’ve adopted it too, saying I’m going 1-0 after eating more food than I should. Everything just sounds much better when you say it like that. Maybe I’m going 1-0 with this column…. 

But, back to the topic. 

USC has looked like the better team through five games, despite its horrible losses to Stanford and Oregon State. The offense seems to be clicking more week by week. Even in the loss against the Beavers, the Trojans’ problem was primarily their defense’s inability to get a stop, not the inconsistency of the offense.

Then there’s Kedon Slovis. Oh, Slovis. The junior quarterback looked great against Colorado, a welcoming sight for haters like me. Whether he can keep it up is the question, but he seems to be on a mission to prove his worth. 

Junior wide receiver Drake London has been just completely ridiculous. He’s notched over 100 receiving yards in four of USC’s first five games. 

Add on to the fact that this run game is looking glorious, and you’ve got an offense more like a traditional Trojan one — an explosive rushing attack, a top-five receiver and a supporting cast that would be stars at other schools. 

The ball is, literally and figuratively, in USC’s hands to change the course of its season into more memorable than forgettable.

Will the Trojans actually do it? 

Anthony Gharib is a junior writing about all things Los Angeles sports. His column “Anthony on LA,” runs every other Friday. He is also the sports editor of the Daily Trojan.