The Utah Utes have their first true road game this Friday night as they travel to the Coliseum to face the USC Trojans. The Trojans (2-1) are coming off their first loss of the season, against BYU, this past weekend. This is the first conference game for the Utes and is arguably the best game of the year between Pac-12 South teams. It’s a game that both teams had circled when the schedule came out and is slowly becoming a rivalry in the Pac-12. USC, one of the most storied programs in college football, is not the team they used to be. However, they still have one of the most talented teams in the league. The Utes dominated the Trojans last year in Salt Lake City but have not won in The Coliseum for over 100 years.
This looks like an even matchup but let’s see what the position battles say:
Quarterback
USC lost their starting quarterback, JT Daniels, to a torn ACL in the first game of the year and have passed the reins to freshman Kedon Slovis. USC is in the middle of changing their offense to an Air Raid system and Slovis has the spotlight on him. He has struggled with decision making and has forced some throws that have resulted in four interceptions on the year. He will have his hands full with the Utah defense, who has already forced four interceptions in just three games. For the Utes, Tyler Huntley is playing the best football of his career and has made very few, minimal mistakes in the first few games. He had arguably his best game of his career last year against the Trojans passing for 3 touchdowns and rushing for another. This USC secondary is vulnerable and Huntley will look to take advantage.
Running Backs
Utah running back Zack Moss needs just under 200 yards to become Utah’s all-time leading rusher. He already has 373 yards and four touchdowns on the year. He has solidified himself not only as one of the best running backs in the conference, he has now entered the conversation of being one of the best in the nation. The USC defense allows an average of 145 yards on the ground so this could mean a big day for Moss. On the other side, the Trojans go to guy is Vavae Malepeai who has four touchdowns on the year but is only averaging 4.7 yards per carry. He has a tough matchup against one of the best defensive lines in the nation.
Wide Receiver
With the new Air Raid offense, USC has been able to show off the depth and talent they have at receiver. Michael Pittman, who had a touchdown against the Utes last year, leads this group and he is off to a quick start in 2019. However, this group is yet to face a secondary like Utah’s. This is one of the most intriguing matchups of the game. Utah receiver Bryan Thompson had himself a game last week against Idaho state, with two touchdowns and over 100 yards through the air. However, Utah fans are still waiting for more production from this group. The likes of Jaylen Dixon, Demari Simpkins, and Britain Covey have all made plays this year but aside from Thompson, there still has not been a “wow” moment from this group. This could be due to the conservative play calling by offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig. Nevertheless, this group will need a big game against the Trojans.
Tight End
Utah tight end Brant Kuithe had one of the best plays of the week against Idaho State with his 60-yard catch and run. He is second on the team in receiving and creates a big matchup problem for any team down the field with his speed. The Utes win this category almost by default. The only tight end that has contributed for the Trojans is Erik Krommenhoek who has two catches for 65 yards.
Offensive Line
The Utes are one of the very few teams in college football who have yet to allow a sack this year and this has a lot to do with the men up front. They are also averaging 226 yards per game on the ground. However, that was against lesser competition so it will be interesting to see how this group performs against a bigger, more talented defensive line. For the Trojans, they will have a tough time slowing down the Utah defensive line. They struggled with BYU last week and allowed penetration all game. This is likely going to happen again against the Utes.
Defensive Line
The USC offensive line will have their hands full with this deep, talented group for the Utes. They are averaging just over two sacks a game and will look to make Slovis uncomfortable. Two guys to watch for the Trojans are Utah native Jay Tufele and Marlon Tuipulotu. These two sophomores are some of the leaders in tackles for the Trojans and are known to put pressure on the quarterback. They both will need to have big games for the Trojans to slow down Zack Moss and the Utah rushing attack.
Linebacker
USC linebacker John Houston Jr. is starting for the third consecutive year and is the anchor for the Trojan defense. He had a whopping 15 tackles against the Utes last year and will hope to have a similar impact this year. Palaie Gaoteote IV is the other linebacker to watch for the Trojans who has 18 tackles in his first three games. Francis Bernard and Devin Lloyd lead this group for the Utes but it will be interesting to see how they react against the air raid. It will be interesting to see how Morgan Scalley plans to use these two and if USC will test them through the air. The big question mark for Utah here is their depth. USC will undoubtedly look to attack that unit and tire them out with plenty of crossing routes, forcing the Utes to substitute in younger, less experienced players.
Secondary
Talanoa Hufanga and Isaiah Pola-Mao are the two safeties for the Trojans and they have combined for 45 tackles on the year. USC gives up on average 264 yards through the air and have a young but talented secondary. The Utah secondary has been playing at an elite level all year. Anchored by Julian Blackmon and Jaylon Johnson, this group has great communication throughout the defensive backfield. They will be tested on Friday night against the air raid offense and the ball will be in the air all night.
Special Teams
USC sophomore kicker Chase McGrath has yet to miss a field goal or an extra point so far this year. He has also hit two field goals from 50+ yards. It seems that the Utes have found their kicker in Jadon Redding, but only time will tell.
