Positive & Negative Takes from Ute’s victory over USC

Positive and negative takeaways from Utah's thrilling victory over No. 7 USC.

The No. 7 ranked USC Trojans came into Rice Eccles looking to extend their unbeaten run against a wavering Utah team while the Utes entered game day following a devastating road loss to undefeated UCLA. 

The Utes internally dedicated the game to fallen teammates Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe with this season's hand-painted helmets and black-out uniforms.

A hand painted helmet worn by the Utah Utes against the USC Trojans at Rice-Eccles Stadium / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

An offensive battle throughout, the Utes went down 14-0 early on with USC looking unstoppable. However, The Utes offense remained unwavering and kept to within one score at half time trailing 28-21. Utah continued to tie and trail the game staying within one score during the second half.

A final touchdown drive with a decisive two-point conversion granted Utah the lead and ultimately the win against a formidable Trojan team. An unforgettable night for everyone who attended.

The Utes have a lot to celebrate from this victory but also need to reflect on key areas of their game as they go into the bye-week.

Positive - In the Air

Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) throws against the USC Trojans in the second half at Rice-Eccles Stadium / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

The run game struggled to get going (51 yards at halftime) but in the air, the receivers made few errors and kept the Utes in contention. Cam Rising registered 29 of 43 passes for 415 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. 

Rising reset his career-high passing yards on the night (previously 306 yards at USC in 2021). Rising targeted nine different receivers on the night but Dalton Kincaid saw the most action catching all 15 of his targets for 217 yards and a touchdown. 

Devaughn Vele also saw action in the end zone with 62 yards and a touchdown. Micah Bernard and Money Parks made the most of their looks with 57 and 45 yards respectively. Rising even saw himself on the end of a nine-yard toe-tapping catch in the red zone with Devaughn Vele as the passer on a reverse option play.

Negative - Rush Defense

For the second straight week, the defense struggled to contain the run game allowing 218 yards. USC quarterback Caleb Williams seemed untouchable early in the game with Utah’s defensive line struggling to pressure him. This allowed Williams time to navigate the field and rush for 97 yards during the game including a 55-yarder on USC opening drive that almost ended in a touchdown if not for a heroic tackle from safety RJ Hubert.

Unlike UCLA who relied mainly on one rusher, USC spread the ball between five players, further keeping Utah’s defense on their toes. However, Utah’s defense did improve as the game went on and Coach Whittingham said in his post-game press conference that he “challenged the D-line to up the pressure and become more of a pass rush mindset”. 

Here’s hoping that Coach Scalley can reinvigorate this defense to finish strong through the end of the season.

Positive - Individual Performances

Utah Utes tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) runs after a catch against the USC Trojans in the second half at Rice-Eccles Stadium / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Devaughn Vele proved again why he is the go-to wide receiver on the team. Throughout the night, Vele was a downfield target, drawing pass interference calls twice on crucial third downs. 

Early in the third quarter, Vele was part of a reverse option pass for nine yards to Rising for a first down at USC’s four-yard line. This was Vele’s first career pass and Rising’s first career reception. It is worth noting that Vele had experience as a quarterback in high school. Might we see him use his arm again before the season is out?

USC brought the heat on offense and Utah needed an answer. Enter Dalton Kincaid. 

Kincaid’s 217 yards on the night are the most by a Utah tight end since 1996 and the first 200 yard game by any Utah player since the Emerald Bowl in 2005. Dalton was unstoppable. An athletic catch and foot drag at the sideline which was initially ruled incomplete proved what a force to be reckoned with Kincaid is. As time expired, Kincaid and Rising could be seen embracing with Kincaid overcome with emotion. Incredibly performances from both men.

For the third week running, RJ Hubert topped the tackle chart with nine total tackles. Overshadowed by the emotion of the moment at the end of the game, Hubert made and incredibly athletic play coming across the field to break up USC’s final pass to seal the win for Utah. Hubert did miss a couple of tackles but continues to prove his worth amongst this Utah defense.

Negative - Special Teams

What is going on with Utah’s kickers? For the second week running Jordan Noyes missed a field goal, this time from 34 yards, which saw him replaced with Jadon Redding for extra point attempts for the remainder of the game. Kicking out the back of the end zone is not an option Utah has at the moment. Six of Utah’s seven kickoffs either fell short or barely reached the goal line allowing USC to return the ball at will. USC’s kicker on the other hand had all seven kickoffs go for touchbacks.

The blame isn’t only on the kickers but the special teams as a whole who allowed USC an average of 23.3 yards per kickoff return, which when the ball is received around the 10-yard line, puts unecessary pressure on the defensive unit. After Utah had taken the lead with 0:48 left, Norton’s kick fell at the goal line and the Trojans managed to run it back to midfield. If not for a false start penalty from USC sending them back to their own 15, who knows whether Utah’s defense could’ve kept the Trojans out of field goal range.

Positive - The Fans

Rice Eccles was filled to the rafters with a record 53,609 fans dressed in red and black. The MUSS were on their feet all game long. Every third down had the stadium rocking. USC’s turnover on downs early in the second quarter seemed to be a turning point in the game and the fans made it known. During every media timeout, the fans sang their hearts out. “Exuberance and joy” was heard for probably a mile outside of the stadium during the Moment of Loudness. The roar of the fans was deafening during the final few plays of the game. It really was a 12th man performance to be proud of from the Rice Eccles faithful. We salute you and your voices, Utah fans.

Special Mention - The Refs

As sports fans, we give referees a lot of grief. Oftentimes we’re salty that calls have gone against our team. In this case, both teams have well-deserved grievances with game management.

At the close of the second quarter, the officiating team made questionable decisions that delayed play and confused fanbases alike. This included a booth-initiated review of Dalton Kincaid’s 9-yard catch which never looked in doubt. It was then announced that Utah would be charged with a timeout since there was less than one minute left in the half and a review was initiated. This would then be reversed.

Another significant delay followed immediately regarding how much time should’ve been on the game clock. On USC’s ensuing drive there were also mixups regarding how many timeouts USC had remaining.

Finally there was more confusion regarding how much time should’ve been on the clock when Utah’s late interception was called back for pass interference.

USC’s head coach Lincoln Riley said after the game “The officiating was really poor in that but we still should have won the game… I'm not going to be the guy saying we lost the game because of the officiating, because we didn't. It's just another thing that we had to overcome tonight and we were closing to getting it done but just not quite enough.”

Final Thoughts

Utah fought well to come back after a devastating loss against UCLA and keep pace with a strong USC team. Utah had something to play for, more than just keeping their PAC-12 Championship hopes alive. It was worn on the helmet of every Utah player and written in the hearts of every fan. The tragic losses of Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe brought this Utah family closer together and win or lose, this game was dedicated to them. 

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