USC vs. Utah: Game Grades, Analysis for Trojans

The Utah Utes scored two touchdowns in the game's final 10 minutes for a comeback 31-27 victory over the USC Trojans. Quarterback Troy Williams was impressive in the second half, throwing for 202 of his 270 yards. The Utes got the ball back with a little over five minutes remaining, and Williams led a 15-play, 93-yard drive to put Utah ahead 31-27 with just 16 seconds remaining. 

Williams finished the game 21-of-34 passing for 270 yards and two touchdowns. The Utes run game was stagnant after the first quarter, which USC deserves a lot of credit for, but it was the Utah passing attack that ignited the 14-point comeback.

There were plenty of momentum shifts in this game, and USC certainly had its moments. Redshirt freshman Sam Darnold made his first start at quarterback and threw for 253 yards. He was poised and accurate in a tough environment, but the Utes defense made more stops when it mattered most. 

Utah's defense was far from impressive in this game. After not allowing a 100-yard rusher in 18-straight games, USC running back Justin Davis went for 126 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster also got going on Friday night, catching eight passes for 98 yards. 

The Trojans (1-3) must recover before next week's matchup at home against Arizona State. Utah will look to improve to 5-0 when it travels to Berkeley to take on the Cal Golden Bears on Oct. 1. 

You can find the box score for this game here, courtesy of NCAA.com. 

Pass Offense

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There's not much to criticize about USC's passing attack in this game. Darnold was efficient in his first career start, and he made a lot of good throws down the field. He finished the game with 253 yards, and he showed a lot of poise in a loud stadium. The best stat line he had was zero interceptions. 

The Trojans were able to get Smith-Schuster going in this game, and that was important. After recording just 11 receptions in the first three games, the junior wide receiver caught eight passes for 98 yards on Friday night. USC has found an answer at quarterback, and there's a lot to be excited about with this guy. 

Grade: B+

Run Offense

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The Trojans offensive line had its best game, and it showed in the box score. The Trojans averaged 6.5 yards per carry on Saturday night, and Davis led the way with 126 yards. Overall, USC carried it 33 times for 213 yards. 

The Trojans get an A here, as it found success on the ground against a talented Utah front seven. The Utes usually don't allow much on the ground, so the offensive line deserves a lot of credit for opening up holes for Davis and others. 

Grade: A 

Pass Defense

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The Trojans secondary came out strong, holding Utah to just 68 yards passing in the first half, but there was too much space for the Utes receivers in the second half. Utah started to find success throwing to the middle of the field, and it allowed Williams to get into a rhythm. 

The part that is most frustrating for USC is the success it had in stopping Utah's run game. The defensive line played well, but the secondary did not hold up after halftime, giving up 202 yards through the air.

While the Trojans have playmakers back there, the secondary has to collectively improve before facing some of the air-raid offenses the Pac-12 has to offer. The grade here is a C-, because there were multiple plays where USC defenders had good position but the pass was right on the money. 

Grade: C-

Run Defense

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Utah came out of the gate strong, running the ball on all 12 plays of its first scoring drive. The Trojans made adjustments, though, and this group was dialed in after the first quarter. Overall the Utes averaged just 4.0 yards per carry and finished with 186 total rushing yards. 

Utah running back Zack Moss finished with 90 yards on the ground, but just 23 of those came in the second half. The grade here is a B because of the success Utah had early on, but USC's defensive line played pretty well against the run for most of this game. 

Grade: B 

Special Teams

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Another bright spot for the Trojans was the special teams play. Adoree Jackson put the Trojans on the board in the first quarter with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but Utah adjusted and kicked away from him the rest of the night. 

Matt Boermeester was 2-of-2 on his field-goal attempts, and Chris Tilbey dropped his only punt of the game inside the 20-yard line. 

Grade: A 

Coaching

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The fact that Davis did not carry the ball in the fourth quarter is a concern. After gashing Utah's defense for 126 yards through three quarters, it looked as if USC could march it down the field on any given drive. That, plus the lack of pressure on Williams, are things the coaching staff may look back on and regret. 

Clay Helton and his offensive staff put together a brilliant game plan for Darnold in this game, though. The young quarterback got the ball out of his hands quick, and USC, for the most part, neutralized Utah's highly celebrated pass rush. There are things the coaching staff could have done better, but there was a solid game plan in place. 

Grade: C