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As Utah and USC prepare to face each other on Friday night, the Utes must be careful not to suffer a letdown similar to what transpired last season.
September 22, 2016As Utah and USC prepare to face each other on Friday night, the Utes must be careful not to suffer a letdown similar to what transpired last season.
As Utah enters conference play against USC at 3-0 – and ranked in the AP Top 25 (No. 23) for the first time this year – it‘s important that the Utes use last year’s matchup against the Trojans as a cautionary tale. In 2015, Utah walked into the Los Angeles Coliseum ranked third in the country. They left on the losing end of a 42-24 blowout to USC. The teams met at an interesting crossroads for both programs, as Utah came in at 6-0 and in the playoff picture, while USC’s season was spiraling downhill after the firing of Steve Sarkisian.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham has not forgotten the season-altering loss that the Utes suffered last year. During his weekly press conference, he spoke about the importance of avoiding a repeat from last season.
“They’re a very talented team, probably the most talented 1-2 team in the country. They’re very dangerous and have a lot of weapons. They’re physical, fast and well-coached. It’s going to be a big challenge for our football team. They got us last year at their place. We were 6-0 at the time and they were able to stop our momentum last year so we’re going to try to play better this year, that’s for sure.”
This year, the game has some striking similarities. Utah is on the up and up, undefeated and at its highest ranking of the season. Meanwhile, USC is trying to turn its season around after a rough stretch.
At 1-2, the Trojans are off to their worst start since 2001 – Pete Carroll’s first season on campus. One of those losses was a 52-6 drubbing against Alabama; it was USC’s worst loss in 50 years. This week, head coach Clay Helton announced that the team will give redshirt freshman Sam Darnold his first career start over junior Max Browne.
Darnold will have his hands full, as Utah enters the game leading the Pac-12 in total sacks with 15 and interceptions with 6.
Since Utah entered the Pac-12 in 2011, they are 1-4 against the Trojans.