USC Football: Trojan Roller Coaster Leaves Utes, Chow Feeling Dizzy

The Utah Utes football team came to Los Angeles for the official PAC-12 football opener, hoping to upset favored USC on the Trojans’ home turf. And for 59 minutes and 51 seconds, it looked like they had a chance at doing just that. But after a flurry of infuriating USC defensive penalties to keep Utah’s last-minute drive alive, the Trojan special teams unit blocked a score-tying Utah field goal attempt and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown as the final gun sounded, emptying the USC sideline and sealing a 24-13 USC victory.

Hold on. The final score wasn't that easy to record.

It took officials over two hours after the game ended to finally award USC with that last TD. By then, the pattern for USC’s season was already becoming clear—the young Trojans are going to take fans on a wild roller coaster ride each week, and every game promises to be filled with white-knuckle, hair-pulling, nail-biting finishes, comebacks and wasted opportunities.

Utah offensive guru Norm Chow, as advertised, used his spread offense approach to spray 46 passes around the field. Ute receivers fanned out across the line of scrimmage so far that the only effective ball-hiking signal Utah could use was their quarterback cartoon-clapping his hands three times. However, Utah's yards per completion average was lower than USC’s, as coach Lane Kiffin's Trojan defense grew up rapidly in Week 2. USC’s defense held Utah to 100 fewer passing yards than USC threw for, bending several times but not breaking when they needed to make a stand.

The USC defense had several other bright spots.

The Trojans limited Utah to a meager 5-for-15 tally for third downs. USC also largely quieted the Utah running game, giving up only 81 total yards. And Troy’s defense snagged two timely sacks, a fumble, and the game-ending special teams field goal block (although the block itself was by O-line starter and rising special teams star Matt Kalil).

However, that same USC defense kept fans on an emotional roller coaster, committing costly, almost game-changing penalties and coverage lapses as time was winding down, allowing Utah to march down the field with growing confidence of making a field goal that would send the game into overtime.

And what of the USC offense?

The offense dipped and dove on the same roller coaster, alternating between flashes of brilliance and ones of despair. QB Matt Barkley would shred the Utah defense on one series, only to witness youthful inexperience on the next as promising USC freshmen turned the ball over deep in Utah territory more than once.

For this week, Trojan fans will take the victory. But one thing is certain: this is not the last adrenaline-fueled, hands-in-the-air, scream-your-lungs-out ride their young team will take them on this football season.