Pac-12 football: USC has come a long way since that loss to Utes

USC’s most recent defeat occurred so long ago that Troy Williams was Utah’s star quarterback at the time.

The greatest moment of Williams’ Ute career and Sam Darnold’s first start as USC’s quarterback converged at Rice-Eccles Stadium in September, when Utah rallied for a 31-27 victory. The way the Trojans responded to that loss has framed the careers of Darnold and coach Clay Helton, as USC enters the 2017 season with a nine-game winning streak and a No. 4 ranking in the preseason AP Top 25.

Before coming to Utah, the Trojans already had lost to Alabama and Stanford (while beating Utah State) in September, but they steadied themselves in October and beyond. USC qualified for the Rose Bowl via its College Football Playoff ranking, after not quite catching Colorado for the Pac-12 South title.

“We’re such in a production-based business, and everybody wants instant results,” Helton said during the Pac-12 Football Media Days in July. “But you have to sit down at times and say, ‘OK, did you improve from Alabama to Stanford, from Stanford to Utah? Are you headed in the right direction? Even though you’re not getting the results, do you believe in what you’re doing right now?’ And if the answer is yes, continue it. No matter if the whole outside world is saying, ‘Hey, are you the right guy for the job?’ Do what you believe in so you have no regrets and be the person you are each and every day.”

The Trojans have some stability now, with Darnold as the Heisman Trophy favorite and Helton becoming as secure in his job as any USC coach could be. Questions exist about USC’s offensive line and receivers, due to inexperience, but the program’s talent level remains high and the defense that Williams shredded in the second half of Utah’s victory has improved.

Porter Gustin, a linebacker from Salem Hills High School, is among the Trojans’ defensive leaders and should have a productive junior season after recording 13 tackles for loss in 2016.

USC will ease into the schedule, compared with last season’s opener vs. Alabama, by playing Western Michigan. But then the Trojans will host Stanford in their traditional September meeting, a game that will tell a lot about about both teams.

The Trojans will play 12 straight weeks without a bye, although that unusual schedule could work in their favor. They would have a week off before playing in the Pac-12 championship game.