University Southern California Trojans
No. 20 USC Football Goes To No. 19 Utah
October 19, 2014 | Football
Oct. 19, 2014
In a battle of Top 20 teams from the Pac-12's South Division, No. 20 USC travels to No. 19 Utah for a primetime showdown on FOX Sports 1. It is only USC's fourth trip ever to Salt Lake City and just the second since 1917. Rice-Eccles Stadium should be sold out for the 29th consecutive time. The Pac-12's top two rushers will be on the loose in the game. Utah had extra time to prepare for the Trojans as it won in overtime at Oregon State last Thursday, while USC is coming off a huge Homecoming victory over Colorado in which QB Cody Kessler threw a school-record 7 TDs. Kessler has 18 TD passes and just 1 interception while hitting 69.5% of his aerials (above the school standard) this year, and he shows up in the national Top 20 in completion percentage, passing efficiency, passing TDs and completions. USC's strong ground attack (5 games with 200-plus yards) is led TB Javorius Allen, the Pac-12's rushing and all-purpose yardage leader who is on the verge of eclipsing the 1,000-yard rushing barrier this season. He is the only player in the country with at least 900 rushing and 250 receiving yards in 2014, and he is the first Trojan since 2005 to post 6 100-yard rushing games in a season. Head coach Steve Sarkisian's up-tempo offense also features WR Nelson Agholor, who is among the country's leaders in receptions and receiving TDs (he had 3 scoring grabs last week). The USC defense--behind All-American DE Leonard Williams, ILB Hayes Pullard (Troy's tackle leader for a third season) and ball-hawking, tackles-for-a-loss-making 2013 Freshman All-American S Su'a Cravens--continues to excel in stopping opponents in the red zone and on third downs and in taking away the ball. USC has yet to suit up more than 57 recruited scholarship players in 2014 because of NCAA-mandated scholarship limitations, so 11 true freshmen have played significant roles this season and 8 have started. Veteran Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham's team is only 2 points from being undefeated in 2014. Junior QBs Travis Wilson, who has almost 4,000 passing yards with 30 TD throws in his career, and Oklahoma transfer Kendal Thompson share time and have helped the Utes rank 21st nationally in scoring offense. The top pass catchers are WRs Kenneth Scott and Dres Anderson, who has 2,047 career receiving yards. JC transfer RB Devontae Booker, who had 229 rushing yards at Oregon State, is No. 19 in the nation in rushing (second in the Pac-12 behind USC's Allen). The Utes strong defense leads the nation in sacks and tackles for loss and also is in the Top 20 in turnover margin and rushing defense. DE Nate Orchard, a 3-year starter, is second nationally in both sacks and tackles for loss, while DE Hunter Dimick (sacks) and LB Jared Norris (tackles for loss) also rank high in the national stats. Utah's superb special teams play features 2013 All-Pac-12 P Tom Hackett, who is third nationally in punting, PK Andy Phillips, a one-time U.S. ski team member who is fourth nationally in field goals and sixth in scoring, and WR Kaelin Clay, who is fourth in the nation in punt returns and has returned 3 punts and a kickoff for TDs this year.
In a battle of Top 20 teams from the Pac-12's South Division, No. 20 USC travels to No. 19 Utah for a primetime showdown on FOX Sports 1. It is only USC's fourth trip ever to Salt Lake City and just the second since 1917. Rice-Eccles Stadium should be sold out for the 29th consecutive time. The Pac-12's top two rushers will be on the loose in the game. Utah had extra time to prepare for the Trojans as it won in overtime at Oregon State last Thursday, while USC is coming off a huge Homecoming victory over Colorado in which QB Cody Kessler threw a school-record 7 TDs. Kessler has 18 TD passes and just 1 interception while hitting 69.5% of his aerials (above the school standard) this year, and he shows up in the national Top 20 in completion percentage, passing efficiency, passing TDs and completions. USC's strong ground attack (5 games with 200-plus yards) is led TB Javorius Allen, the Pac-12's rushing and all-purpose yardage leader who is on the verge of eclipsing the 1,000-yard rushing barrier this season. He is the only player in the country with at least 900 rushing and 250 receiving yards in 2014, and he is the first Trojan since 2005 to post 6 100-yard rushing games in a season. Head coach Steve Sarkisian's up-tempo offense also features WR Nelson Agholor, who is among the country's leaders in receptions and receiving TDs (he had 3 scoring grabs last week). The USC defense--behind All-American DE Leonard Williams, ILB Hayes Pullard (Troy's tackle leader for a third season) and ball-hawking, tackles-for-a-loss-making 2013 Freshman All-American S Su'a Cravens--continues to excel in stopping opponents in the red zone and on third downs and in taking away the ball. USC has yet to suit up more than 57 recruited scholarship players in 2014 because of NCAA-mandated scholarship limitations, so 11 true freshmen have played significant roles this season and 8 have started. Veteran Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham's team is only 2 points from being undefeated in 2014. Junior QBs Travis Wilson, who has almost 4,000 passing yards with 30 TD throws in his career, and Oklahoma transfer Kendal Thompson share time and have helped the Utes rank 21st nationally in scoring offense. The top pass catchers are WRs Kenneth Scott and Dres Anderson, who has 2,047 career receiving yards. JC transfer RB Devontae Booker, who had 229 rushing yards at Oregon State, is No. 19 in the nation in rushing (second in the Pac-12 behind USC's Allen). The Utes strong defense leads the nation in sacks and tackles for loss and also is in the Top 20 in turnover margin and rushing defense. DE Nate Orchard, a 3-year starter, is second nationally in both sacks and tackles for loss, while DE Hunter Dimick (sacks) and LB Jared Norris (tackles for loss) also rank high in the national stats. Utah's superb special teams play features 2013 All-Pac-12 P Tom Hackett, who is third nationally in punting, PK Andy Phillips, a one-time U.S. ski team member who is fourth nationally in field goals and sixth in scoring, and WR Kaelin Clay, who is fourth in the nation in punt returns and has returned 3 punts and a kickoff for TDs this year.
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