Positive & Negative Takes from Ute's Pac-12 Championship victory

Positive and negative takeaways from Utah's second Pac-12 Championship victory.

Against all odds, Utah made it to the Pac-12 Championship again thanks to a four-fold result during the final week of the season. They faced a No. 4 ranked USC team who entered the game as favorites and playoff hopefuls with Heisman favorite Caleb Williams under center for the Trojans.

Despite being reigning champions of the Pac-12, Utah were very much the underdogs in this scenario. However, Utah did hand USC their only loss of the season in a tightly contested 43-42 showdown at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City earlier in the year.

Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) celebrates scoring a two-point conversation to take a one point lead against the USC Trojans in the final minute of the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

The stage was set and the atmosphere inside Allegiant Stadium was electric, even before kick off, and deafening once play began. Both fan bases showed up in a tsunami of red and cardinal.

The Trojans won the toss and made a statement opening drive that took just seven plays and three and a half minutes, ending in a two-yard touchdown pass. USC continued a dominant performance on both sides of the ball, taking a convincing 17-3 lead midway through the second quarter. It looked unlikely that Utah would mount a comeback.

When Jaylen Dixon fumbled at the Utah 39-yard line, the game, like the ball, seemed out of Utah’s hands. Crucially, the Utes’ defense stepped up and forced the Trojans into a 4th and long, turning the ball over on downs. Two drives and two touchdowns later, courtesy of Ja’Quinden Jackson and Jaylen Dixon rushes, the game was tied 17-17 at the half.

Utah Utes quarterback Ja'Quinden Jackson (3) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Southern California Trojans during the second half of the PAC-12 Football Championship at Allegiant Stadium / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

This was truly a game of two halves.

While Utah squandered their opening drive of the third quarter, it was the Moment of Loudness that preceded their second drive. The lights dimmed. Phone lights lit. Fans screamed and brought the energy. Clearly the team responded with Money Parks catching a pass across the middle on 3rd and 19, breaking tackles and taking it 57 yards to the house. The Utes would not let their foot off the gas the rest of the game.

Utah Utes wide receiver Money Parks (10) celebrates after scoring on a 57-yard touchdown reception against the Southern California Trojans in the second half of the Pac-12 Championship at Allegiant St / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

USC quarterback Caleb Williams was showing signs of injury, rarely leaving the pocket. Unrelentingly, the Utah defense brought the heat on almost every play, taking the ball from the Trojans and putting it back into Cam Rising’s hands.

Utah would convert five of their seven drives for scores in the second half (four touchdowns and a field goal). Following USC’s 17-3 lead, Utah outscored their opponents 44-7 to take a convincing 47-24 win. A game that was touted as Williams’ ode to the College Football Playoffs ended with Utah being crowned back-to-back Pac-12 Champions.

Now a look at what went right and what went wrong. 

Positive: The Utes are Back!

At times this season, Utah's Pac-12 Championship hopes seemed in doubt, but thanks to victories by UCLA, Oregon State and Washington in their final games, Utah was given another shot. 

Just as they did last year, the Utah fans showed up in droves. Although it was difficult to distinguish the Utah fan from the USC fan with both sets of fans wearing shades of red, the noise from the Ute faithful made it known they were indeed there. Utah fans relented the barrage of screams and shouts aimed at the field while the domed Allegiant Stadium echoed those same sentiments. Credit to USC fans for contributing to the atmosphere but, this was a Utah home game.

Following last season’s Rose Bowl loss there was only one thing on every member of the Utah football organization: Defend the Pac-12 Championship. It was not the easiest route but the result speaks for itself. Utah are back-to-back Pac-12 Champions!

Negative: Big Plays

Big plays early on contributed to USC taking a substantial lead against Utah. A Caleb Williams 50 yard pass to Utah’s 2-yard line and a Williams 59-yard rush to the Utah 11 set up two touchdown plays in the first quarter. 

The defense looked unsettled early on but rallied to help win the ball back and allow the offense opportunities to tie it up 17-17 at half time.

Positive: Individual Performances

Money Parks - Mr Money Parks. Good with his hands. Quick on his feet. Scorer of that 57-yard touchdown that gave Utah a 24-17 lead at the top of the third quarter. Parks was 4-6 catching on the night with 88 yards and a touchdown. With Devaughn Vele out with what looked like a leg injury, Parks was one of the main targets for Cam Rising.

Jordan Noyes and Jadon Redding - What a time to figure out your kicking game. Noyes looked much more comfortable kicking the ball through the end zone, something he has struggled with most of the season. Redding was 2-2 on field goals from 25 and 35 yards. He missed only one extra point but that came from 17 yards out after Ja’Quinden Jackson was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after his 57-yard touchdown run. Performances like this are what Utah needs from their kickers.

Ja’Quinden Jackson - The quarterback turned running back. With Tavion Thomas leaving the organization for the NFL draft, the mantle of rushing fell to Micah Bernard and Ja’Quinden Jackson. Jackson rushed 13 times for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns averaging 8.1 yards per rush. 

Post-game, Jackson said “All year I’ve been saying this, we’re doing this for 22”. Jackson’s, along with the whole team’s performance, was worthy of 22.

Thomas Yassmin - Early in the season it looked like it was going to be a repeat of the Dalton Kincaid and Brant Kuithe show. Kuithe went down injured early in the season. Kincaid was the sole tight end number one. Yassmin had a few receptions through the year but none bigger than the 60-yard effort in the fourth quarter. Received at the sideline, Yassmin broke a tackle at the 37 and ran towards the last defender, initiating contact just outside the 10 and forcing his way into the end zone. The big man shows up when he needs to.

Negative: Fumbles

Jaylen Dixon’s fumble while down 17-3 almost marked the beginning of the end for the Utes. It just looked like sloppy ball handling with USC’s defender not getting much contact on the ball to knock it loose. USC must’ve called game at this point.

The very next drive Utah fumbled again with the ball being poked out of Micah Bernard’s hands. This time though it was Utah who fell on the ball. Bernard’s only other fumble of the season came against USC. Interesting.

Fortunately for the Utes, the impressive offensive performance overshadowed these two blips on the radar.

Positive: The Defense

Yes. The offense put up 44 points on USC. But it was the defense that stopped the Trojans from taking control of the game. Down 14 points something needed to change. The defense held USC to three straight three-and-outs generating just a single yard of offense in the third quarter. An interception and turnover on downs wrapped up the game. Utah allowed just one touchdown the entire second half.

Some honorable mentions from the defense:

• Cole Bishop led the defense with nine tackles.
• RJ Hubert with the fourth quarter interception and five tackles.
• Mohamoud Diabate with six tackles, two sacks and three tackles for loss.
• Gabe Reid in his first season with the Utes also had two sacks and three tackles for loss and five tackles.

Pinch yourselves. You are not dreaming. Utah are once again Champions of the Pac-12 and will face Penn State in the Rose Bowl on January 2. 

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