University Southern California Trojans
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No. 13 USC Football Hosts Utah In Key Pac-12 South Battle
October 08, 2017 | Football, Features
*It's a key Pac-12 South Division matchup when No. 13 USC--off to its best start in 5 years--hosts Utah, with the winner getting a leg up in the division race.
*Troy has won 7 in a row at home over the Utes, last falling in L.A. in 1916. But Utah has won 2 of the last 3 meetings in the series, including last year's last-second Friday night victory in Salt Lake City in USC QB Sam Darnold's first career start.
*Head coach Clay Helton's Trojans have won their last 13 home games, including a dominant bounce back victory this past Saturday over Oregon State.
*Darnold, coming off a 3-touchdown passing performance and now 14-2 as a starter, is already in the USC Top 10 career passing and total offense charts. WRs Deontay Burnett and Tyler Vaughns have emerged as reliable aerial targets. RB Ronald Jones II, soon to be in the USC all-time Top 10 in rushing, has scored a TD in his last 12 games. The Trojan defense has 9 interceptions to date and is ranked high in various national stat categories. Defensive leaders include ILB Cameron Smith (the team's tackle leader), OLB Uchenna Nwosu, DLs Rasheem Green and Christian Rector (8 sacks between them) and CBs Jack Jones (4 picks this year) and Iman Marshall. USC is looking to mend, as 10 different starters have missed games this year.
*Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham saw his team get off to a quick start with 4 wins before falling at home on Saturday to Stanford. QB Troy Williams started against Stanford, filling in for injured QB Tyler Huntley, whose 73.3% completion percentage is second nationally. Huntley also is the team's No. 2 rusher behind RB Zack Moss. WR Darren Carrington II, the Oregon transfer, is in the national Top 15 in receiving yards and receptions. Utah's defense ranks in the national Top 25 in pass efficiency defense, rushing defense, total defense and scoring defense. Top Ute defenders include LBs Sunia Tauteoli and Kavika Luafatasaga and Ss Marquise Blair and Chase Hansen. Utah has 2 of the nation's top specialists in P Mitch Wishnowsky, the 2016 Ray Guy Award winner and a consensus All-American, and PK Matt Gay, who leads the nation in field goals and is second in scoring in his first season as a collegiate kicker. DB Boobie Hobbs is among the nation's top punt returners.
*The game will be shown live on ABC.
*There will be an on-field salute for USC's defending national champion women's soccer team.
*It's Trojan Family Weekend, with thousands of parents and family members joining their USC students at the game.
