Game To Watch: #20 USC at Utah: November 21, 2020

USC and Utah will play in the late night slot this Saturday at 10:30. The Trojans are 2 – 0 after a pair of comeback wins they were able to pull out late in the fourth quarter. Utah is just starting their season after missing the first two games due to Covid, leaving the Utes with a very short season. Both teams believe they are the best in the Pac 12 South and will get a chance to prove it Saturday.

Recent History

USC and Utah have split the last six games of the series evenly, alternating wins since 2014. In 2018, it was Utah’s turn as the Utes won convincingly 41 – 28. In 2019, USC got the win 30 – 23 despite an early injury to quarterback Kedon Slovis, if recent history is an indicator and the trend of alternating wins continues, Utah fans will be happy Saturday night.

Top 25 Players

What To Watch For…

How will Utah’s inexperienced secondary hold up?

Utah’s secondary was a strength in 2019 and they may be talented again in 2020 but there is little experience returning. Utah’s depth chart lists five starters in the secondary, two of them are true freshmen, two are sophomores and one is a senior, but none of them have started a game for Utah before. The true freshmen are Clark Phillips, who we spotlighted this summer, and Nate Ritchie who was expected to contribute as a true freshman. Both are very talented players, as is sophomore corner JaTravis Broughton who should breakout in his second year with the program, but they are still young and inexperienced and their first game is against a high powered passing attack. Kedon Slovis leads the USC offense and has picked up where he left off last season, completing 71.4 percent of his passes for 706 yards and 3 touchdowns with 1 interception. He is a second year starter who is comfortable in his offense and will be able to capitalize on any missteps in the secondary. Utah’s secondary will have a tough challenge to kickoff their season, the talent is there, but the question remains are they ready?

Can USC’s defense get on track?

USC has played Arizona State and Arizona so far this season, neither is thought to have a high powered offense and both ranked in the bottom half of the conference in scoring offense last season. The Trojans gave up 27 points and 30 points in their two games and needed late touchdowns to win each week. USC has a talented roster but has not finished top three in the Pac 12 in scoring defense since 2013. Playing a Utah team that is breaking in a new starting quarterback and running back gives the Trojans an opportunity to build some momentum on the defensive side of the ball. Despite the changes in the backfield, Utah is experienced up front and at receiver, the Trojans will have to play well to shutdown the Utes offense.

Can Utah’s experienced offensive line ease the transition to a new QB and RB?

A quarterback and running back’s best friend is a good offensive line. Utah may be breaking in a new starting quarterback (have not named a starter) and starting running back (also have not named a starter) but they do return plenty of experience on the offensive line. Four of Utah’s five starters on the offensive line have started at least 12 games in their career and provide an experienced front to build the offense around. If the offensive line can provide protection for the new quarterback, it will make the transition easier for whoever the Utes line up behind center. Similarly, it’s a lot easier to play running back when the offensive line is opening up holes to run through. Utah’s offensive line will be the key to their success early in the season and could speed up the development of the quarterback and running back.

Prediction

Despite Utah not playing a game yet this season and having first time starters in several key spots, USC is only favored by three. The Trojans have finished strong in their first two games but have not played well. Utah will be well prepared and give USC a battle, the young secondary may be inexperienced but they are athletic and talented. The Trojans offense will score points but this week the comeback comes up short and the Utes win their opener. Utah 28 USC 27.

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College Football: UCLA at USC. November 23, 2019, Los Angeles, CA Image taken by Steve Cheng, Bruin Report Online is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.