warning Hi, we've moved to USCANNENBERGMEDIA.COM. Visit us there!

Neon Tommy - Annenberg digital news

USC Trojans Are The Real Underdogs In Utah

Darian Nourian |
October 22, 2014 | 11:28 a.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

 @utahathletics)
@utahathletics)
At the beginning of the season, a lot of USC fans, as well as members of the media circled the Trojan’s pre-Halloween affair in Salt Lake City with the Utah Utes as a “trap game." 

This phrase seems to get thrown around a little too much with USC football games, especially when the Trojans are going on the road to face a Pac-12 foe. 

Well, I’m going to go on a limb and confidently say that this Saturday’s matchup is not a “trap game," or anything closely resembling that. 

In fact, the reality of this top-20 showdown is that USC could easily be considered the underdog in this one, though the Las Vegas betting lines are currently dead even. 

Just looking at the two teams at face value, Utah (5-1, 2-1 Pac-12) is ranked just ahead of the Trojans in the AP Poll at No. 19, while the Trojans sit right above them at No. 20.  

USC’s 4-1 conference mark, however, is what gives them the advantage over Utah in the Pac-12 standings. 

While Saturday’s game is really just another game for the USC faithful (most fans don’t ever get too hyped for Utah), this is a monumental home game for the Utes since they have a lot to play for, all starting with a Pac-12 South title. 

In other words, this game is for all the marbles. 

It should be the Trojans’ goal to shut out any glimmer of hope for the Utes early on Saturday because if they don’t they could be in store for a game that doesn’t give them the edge in a few different departments. 

With the sanctions continuing to plague the Trojans, depth is an area where the Trojans have struggled all year long.  

Head coach Steve Sarkisian has previously said that the Trojans are like an NFL team, dressing around 50 or so scholarship players a game. 

We’re going to expect to see a high number of play counts for all starters and USC can’t afford to have another occurrence of a depleted secondary like we saw in the Arizona game. 

On the ground, both of the Utes’ quarterbacks are dual-threats that have the ability to escape the pocket and make plays with their legs down the field. 

The uncertainty of Utah’s quarterback situation does help the Trojans' cause, however.  

Though Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham claimed that naming a starting quarterback early in the week is for “suckers," he went against his word on Monday and named junior Travis Wilson the starter for Saturday’s game, foregoing the services of junior Kendal Thompson. 

Thompson led the Utes to their upset over the UCLA Bruins a couple weeks ago, but Whittingham pulled him after the first half of the Oregon State game for Wilson. 

I’m not going to throw out the possibility yet that Whittingham changes his mind later in the week to throw off defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox and the USC defense a little. Regardless of who is at the reins for the Utes, the focal point of Utah’s offense will be running back Devontae Booker, and could be the best one this USC defense has seen this season. 

Booker is averaging almost 200 yards a game in his last three starts and is taking each carry this season for a little more than six yards behind his offensive line. 

Switching over to the defensive side of the ball, the Utes have been the most sack-happy team in the Pac-12 this year, which isn’t good news for Cody Kessler and the USC offensive line. 

The Utes have sacked the opposing quarterback 33 times this season, more than twice as much as the Trojans’ 15. 

Let’s remember how the Utah defensive line terrorized Brett Hundley and the porous UCLA offensive line, recording 10 sacks in that game. 

The Trojans’ offensive line has been stout so far this year in protecting Kessler, but it’s going to have to be at its best to fend off the Utes. 

Finally, another area where USC has been shaky this season is in special teams. 

Utah’s unit features some of the best specialty players in the Pac-12, exemplified by Kaelin Clay, who has returned four kicks for touchdowns this season. 

Again, the edge goes to Utah here and USC will need to contain any explosive plays on special teams.

Their place kicker, in sophomore Andy Phillips, can be considered the most consistent and reliable kicker in the Pac-12 up to this point in the season, averaging double-digit points per game. 

If the game were to go down to the wire, this could prove to be crucial for the Utes. 

In addition to Utah having the edge in a few of these departments, they will have the advantage of their home crowd in cooler conditions that the Trojans aren’t as accustomed to, which could make it harder for Kessler and the offense to establish a passing game. 

I hate to say it, but I really do think that for the first time in a while, the Trojans are the underdogs in this one. 

If there’s one thing we have learned about this USC team though, it’s that they have answered the call when the pressure has been on like they did against Stanford and Arizona. 

I’m not saying that USC won’t win, but based on the circumstances and other different elements, the Utes should be considered the favorite to win this Pac-12 clash. 

Reach Staff Columnist Darian Nourian here



 

Buzz

Craig Gillespie directed this true story about "the most daring rescue mission in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.”

Watch USC Annenberg Media's live State of the Union recap and analysis here.