Tag: Utah Utes football

Social media reaction: USC’s College Football Playoff dream dies in Pac-12 Championship Game

Caleb Williams did everything he could, but Utah was tougher, better, and — in a surprise plot twist — healthier. O-line depth was exposed with Andrew Vorhees out.

Losing is painful. Losing when the College Football Playoff was one win away is painful. Yet, the most painful part of USC’s loss to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game is simply that: the pain of the night.

USC players experienced and absorbed a lot of pain. They dropped like flies with all the injuries that befell them.

Andrew Vorhees didn’t play. That was a massive injury — as it turns out, one USC couldn’t really live with against Utah’s front seven. It created a domino effect in which Mason Murphy had to be thrown into the game at right tackle. Utah was missing Van Fillinger and Jonah Elliss, but USC missing Vorhees mattered even more.

Then came the big one, Caleb Williams being hobbled. Late in the game, Brett Neilon and Austin Jones both went down. It was a rotten night for injuries, which exposed USC’s depth. Utah ran away with the game, but this was a three-point contest with just over 10 minutes left. USC will lament lots of things about this game, but the biggest lamentation is this: We wish we had all our guys healthy.

Credit to Utah, a tough team which was uniquely suited to make the Trojans pay the price.

Reaction to this game, specifically from the vantage point of USC’s offense, unfolds below:

It’s official: USC vs Utah in 2022 Pac-12 Championship Game

#Utah joins #USC in Las Vegas for the first #Pac12 title game in a division-free setup. Two teams from the old Pac-12 South will meet in a rematch.

There are three College Wire sites representing Pac-12 schools: Trojans Wire, Ducks Wire, and Colorado Buffaloes Wire. One of the three schools had a bad year in football. Another will be in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

The third school should have been in the Pac-12 title game, but it coughed up a 31-10 lead with four minutes left in the third quarter.

Oregon’s remarkable implosion opened the door for the Utah Utes — losers to Oregon just one week ago — to find a way to Las Vegas for the 2022 Pac-12 Championship Game.

It’s a remarkable turn of events — not that Oregon State won, but HOW the Beavers won. It opened the door for Utah to face USC in a rematch of an epic 43-42 game from Oct. 15 in Salt Lake City.

Much more on this matchup during the coming week, but let’s start with a few initial notes about Trojans-Utes, Part II:

Pac-12 Championship Game tiebreaker scenarios: USC’s Dec. 2 opponent in Vegas

#Utah has NOT been eliminated by its loss to Oregon. There’s actually a very realistic scenario in which the Utes can face #USC in a rematch.

So, did the Utah Utes get eliminated by their loss to Oregon late Saturday night, while you were reveling in the aftermath of USC’s thrilling win over UCLA?

No, they did not.

Utah is not only alive; the Utes have a clear path to Las Vegas. They’re not in a preferred position — they need a lot of help — but the scenario they need is not that far-fetched at all.

Let’s walk you through the Pac-12 Championship Game tiebreaker scenarios which will determine the team USC faces on Dec. 2 in Las Vegas, plus some playoff and New Year’s Six bowl notes as well:

What’s new with Utah since Oregon last played the Utes?

The Utah Utes have a very deep and experienced squad, and they’ll look to once again hand the Oregon Ducks a late season loss on Saturday.

After a disastrous, season-altering loss to the Washington Huskies on Saturday, the Oregon Ducks have no choice but to turn their attention to an experienced, dangerous Utah squad who they will host on Saturday night at Autzen Stadium.

Kyle Whittingham’s program relishes in taking Oregon down late in the season, and while Washington already played spoiler to UO’s CFP hopes, Utah can further crush the Ducks with a win.

Saturday will be a huge opportunity for Dan Lanning’s squad to show the NCAA what kind of resolve they have, as bouncing back from that kind of victory says a lot about a team’s character, makeup, and leadership.

Cam Rising, Tavion Thomas, and Dalton Kincaid make up an outstanding trio of weapons for the Utes on offense, and even after losing linebacker Devin Lloyd to the NFL this team can do some damage on that side of the ball as well.

Let’s take a look at what is new, and what is the same, for the Utes ahead of Saturday’s battle:

Utah analyst digs into the puzzle named Cam Rising, who has struggled for Utes in 2022

One Utah analyst pinpointed the play-calling of offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig as a problem for the Utes heading into their matchup vs #USC.

We reached out to Utah football analyst Matt Nigbur of the No Truck Stops Pac-12 podcast.

We asked Nigbur, “How surprised are you and other Utah analysts that Rising hasn’t made the grade?”

Nigbur responded:

“What, doesn’t everyone expect their QB to be the Heisman trophy winner? I’m told these expectations are totally normal among college football blue bloods, of which Utah is certainly one. I think the surprise/confusion is less in Rising and more in the play calling at the moment. This type of QB play and lack of downfield passing seems to be treated as a feature rather than a bug, and the opposite of all of the talking points coming out of camp.”

It will certainly be a point of interest on Saturday against USC: Will Utah, which has struggled to find explosive plays, be able to hit deep shots over the top of the USC secondary, or will that deficiency remain firmly in place for the Utes against Alex Grinch and the Trojans’ defense, which have shut down deep balls this season?

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10 key Utah players to watch when Utes face USC

USC fans need to keep an eye on a number of Utah players when the Trojans take the field against the Utes in Salt Lake City.

As the USC Trojans prepare for their battle against Utah on October 15, everyone can agree on the following statement: This is easily the biggest challenge of Lincoln Riley’s first season as USC head coach.

The Trojans face the Utes in a massive battle, although it would’ve been even bigger if Utah hadn’t lost to the UCLA Bruins last weekend.

The reigning Pac-12 champions go up against one of the favorites to win the Pac-12. Utah-USC has all the makings of a monster game, and the Trojans are traveling to Salt Lake City for this contest, making things even more difficult.

Here are 10 key players to watch for Utah, with some on each side of the ball:

Tale Of The Tape: statistical comparisons of USC and Utah heading into Week 7 showdown

Before this heavyweight prize fight, get the numbers on #USC and #Utah.

Who comes away with the victory on Saturday in Salt Lake City?

Will it be the reigning Pac-12 champions who just lost to undefeated UCLA? Or will it be the surging USC Trojans, who come in at 6-0 with a ton of hype, as Lincoln Riley has come out of the gate running?

Caleb Williams vs. Cam Rising, Travis Dye vs. Tavion Thomas, and Jordan Addison against Devaughn Vele are some of the notable matchups on offense.

As the game gets closer, let’s examine the tale of the tape between these two teams and compare some key categories on both sides of the ball.

Utah star tight end Brant Kuithe is out for the season

USC didn’t have to face Oregon State star tight end Luke Musgrave on Sept. 24. It won’t have to face Utah’s star tight end on Oct. 15. The Utes must adjust on offense.

The USC Trojans still face an uphill battle when they play Utah in Salt Lake City on Oct. 15, but one key piece for the Utes will be missing.

Brant Kuithe is out for the season with an injury suffered early in the Utes’ game against Arizona State on Saturday.

In 51 games at Utah, Brant Kuithe was a matchup nightmare for Pac-12 opponents. The 6-foot-2, 219-pound senior from Katy, Texas, has 148 receptions for 1,882 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has also rushed 17 times for 162 yards and four TDs during his career.

A three-time All-Pac-12 performer, Kuithe earned second-team all-conference honors in 2019, 2020 and 2021. His 148 catches are the most by a Utah tight end since at least 1996. He ranks eighth all-time in Utah Utes receptions.

It’s safe to say having Brant Kuithe out for the season is a huge blow to Cameron Rising and the Utes’ offense for 2022.

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham called loss of Brant Kuithe for season a “big downer.”

“[It’s] is a tough blow for us on offense, he’s a great leader, great teammate, and great person,” Whittingham said.

The Utes two tight end combo was the best in the Pac-12 and separated them amongst others in the conference with TE depth. Dalton Kincaid who was along side Kuithe has 16 receptions for 240 yards and four TDs this season.

This season, Kuithe leads the team in catches through September (19) and is No. 2 in receiving yards (206). He has scored three touchdowns.

Because Kuithe’s injury happened in the fourth game, he could return for another season.

Whittingham told reporters the injury is “a big blow for our offense.” Kuithe qualifies for a redshirt season and could return to the team in 2023.

The No. 12 Utes (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12) host Oregon State on Saturday.

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