Perfect record on the line against Utah
USC football will face their first ranked opponent of the year Saturday when they take on No. 20 University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Coming off their first 6-0 start since 2006, the Trojans stand to face their toughest challenge yet from a Utah team that handed them a 42-26 loss last October.
Saturday’s 30-14 home victory over Washington State landed the Trojans at No. 7 in this week’s AP poll, with the University of Tennessee jumping them in the rankings after taking down Louisiana State University. But questions still linger about the team’s readiness for more skilled opponents, especially after a lackluster passing performance on Saturday.
“We missed a couple of throws, and we dropped some balls,” said Head Coach Lincoln Riley after Tuesday’s practice. “We were pretty good on the rest of them, there’s just not a whole lot left.”
Sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams posted a lackluster performance, completing only 15 of his 29 passes for 188 yards. In addition, the usually sure-handed sophomore receiver Mario Williams recorded 2 drops on the day. USC’s rushing offense, however, struggled far less, with redshirt senior running back Travis Dye carrying the ball 28 times for 149 yards and one touchdown.
“Our linemen doing a wonderful job blocking and opening up holes is what really stood out to me,” Dye said.
Last year, USC entered their tilt with Utah 3-2 after home losses to Stanford and Oregon State. After defeating both the Cardinal and the Beavers on the road this season, however, the Trojans will look to continue their revenge tour against the defending Pac-12 champions.
Before a tough loss to UCLA Saturday dropped them nine spots in the AP poll, the Utes were ranked No. 11. Despite the loss, talented junior quarterback Cameron Rising passed for 287 yards, adding 59 more and 2 touchdowns on the ground. The Trojans have had success stopping dual-threat quarterbacks so far this year and lead the nation with 24 sacks.
Lincoln Riley recruited Rising out of high school as Oklahoma’s head coach in 2017 and is quite familiar with the quarterback and his play style.
“He bounced around on us a little bit, but he’s obviously found a tremendous home,” said Riley of the Utes’ signal caller. “It seems like he’s really been a great fit for their team and what they’re doing offensively, and he’s run it very well.”
The Trojan offense will face a new challenge against the skilled Utah defense. Their 315.8 overall yards allowed per game makes them the best defense USC is set to face so far this year, a frightening prospect given the Trojans’ offensive struggles against Washington State. The Utes have held opponents to an average of 179.3 yards through the air this season, placing them in the top 20 pass coverage units in the nation.
A key member of that unit is sophomore cornerback Clark Phillips III, whose 5 interceptions currently leads the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. His 80-yard pick-six against UCLA Saturday was his second in two weeks, and an outstanding three-interception performance the week before against Oregon State earned him the Chuck Bednarik, Walter Camp, Jim Thorpe and Pac-12 defensive player of the week awards.
USC’s last away game against Oregon State saw the Trojans hit their first real hiccup of the year as they were unable to find the endzone until the fourth quarter. Just like in Saturday’s win, when Caleb Williams struggled (completing only 16 of his 36 passes), Dye carried the offense on his back (with 133 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries).
Dye’s commitment to the team was evident when he commented on his unusually heavy load after practice Tuesday.
“With a quarterback like Caleb [Williams], you really never do anticipate [28 carries], but you’re always ready for it,” Dye said. “If the team needs me to do it, I’ll do it. I definitely could’ve done more.”
As USC looks to stay perfect, Utah will aim to avoid their third loss of the season, as winning out will be necessary for a shot at defending their Pac-12 title after their loss to UCLA. Saturday’s contest kicks off at 5 p.m. in Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium.