Utah vs. USC: Game Grades, Analysis for Utes and Trojans

Freshman linebacker Cameron Smith snatched three interceptions, and the USC Trojans upended the third-ranked Utah Utes 42-17 on Saturday in Los Angeles.

Utah jumped out to a 14-7 lead, but Smith's pick-six capped a 21-point second quarter that gave USC momentum it never relinquished.

Positional Unit	1st-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	C-	D+
Run Offense	B+	C+
Pass Defense	B-	C-
Run Defense	C	B+
Special Teams	B	B+
Coaching	B-	C

Pass Offense: Travis Wilson started 9-of-9, but the shiny box score numbers didn't represent how poorly the senior quarterback had played. It was clear mistakes were coming, and they certainly did. Wilson finished with four interceptions. Britain Covey tallied seven receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns.

Run Offense: One of the biggest reasons Utah came up short was it failed to give star running back Devontae Booker enough touches. He tallied 52 yards in the first half but only received four carries after the break. Wilson added 35 rushing yards.

Pass Defense: The Utes registered four sacks, but Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler recorded 9.4 yards per attempt. Screens and drags consistently hurt Utah, which surrendered 11 first downs through the air.

Run Defense: Although the defense surrendered just 2.6 yards per carry, the Utes couldn't use their overall success against the run in the most clutch moments. USC converted a pair of 4th-and-goal snaps for touchdowns. Even after a quiet first half, Gionni Paul had a career-best night with 17 tackles, including 5.5 for loss. Utah Football quoted head coach Kyle Whittingham:

Special Teams: Andy Phillips blasted a 53-yard field goal and hit all three extra points, while Tom Hackett averaged 43.2 yards per punt. Cory Butler-Byrd needs to learn taking a touchback is typically better than forcing the issue. He managed just 15.3 per kick return.

Coaching: Kyle Whittingham's decision to go for it on 4th-and-2 probably changed the game, but it was an admirable call. Wilson shouldn't have thrown the ball across his body and over the middle. On another note, Utah straying from Booker was a poor coaching decision.

Positional Unit	1st-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	B	B+
Run Offense	B	C+
Pass Defense	B+	B+
Run Defense	C	B-
Special Teams	B-	C
Coaching	B	B

Pass Offense: The connection between Kessler and JuJu Smith-Schuster is flat-out deadly. They hooked up eight times for 143 yards and one touchdown. Kessler completed 21 of 28 passes for 264 yards and the one score. Adoree' Jackson chipped in six catches for 37 yards.

Run Offense: USC didn't do much on the ground, but it did enough. Ronald Jones II totaled 73 yards and a touchdown, while Justin Davis accumulated 66 yards and a score. Kessler and fullback Soma Vainuku each had a 1-yard touchdown.

Pass Defense: Delvon Simmons notched two sacks and Su'a Cravens—who grabbed an interception with two seconds remaining—added another, but the star of the night was Smith. The freshman linebacker snatched three picks, highlighted by his 55-yard pick six.

Run Defense: The Trojans had a little bit of trouble limiting Booker during the first half, but it's not their fault Utah ignored him during the latter frames. USC allowed 3.5 yards per carry and held an opponent under 100 rushing yards for the second time this season.

Special Teams: Alex Wood buried all six extra points but absolutely yanked a 36-yard field goal wide left. The punt coverage unit surrendered a 40-yard return, and Jackson went nowhere on two ill-fated attempts to break a big one. Keely Eure of USCFootball.com quoted interim head coach Clay Helton:

Coaching: Defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox assembled an outstanding game, and USC held Utah to a 3-of-13 mark in late-down situations. Additionally, a play-calling adjustment in the second quarter that featured quick passes helped the offense establish a much-needed rhythm.

Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.