Time, Place and [Radio Waves in] Space • The Utes’ second Pac-12 road game of the season will take place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at 6 p.m. MDT Saturday. You can watch on ABC or listen on ESPN 700 AM, Sirius 84/XM 84.
Line • USC was favored by 13 points as of Friday.
Opposing coach • Clay Helton has been on USC’s staff since 2010. He held the title of interim coach for the final seven games regular-season games of 2015, and the interim tag was dropped Nov. 30, 2015. He is 21-8 as the Trojans’ coach. He joined the USC staff as quarterbacks coach in 2010 following 10 seasons as an assistant at Memphis. In 2012, Helton became USC’s passing game coordinator. In 2013, he got promoted to offensive coordinator. Prior to Memphis, Helton worked on the staff at Houston, his alma mater. He started his coaching career at a graduate assistant at Duke.
Utah ties • USC Junior outside linebacker Porter Gustin, freshman inside linebacker Tayler Katoa and freshman defensive lineman Jay Tufele are all from Utah. Gustin is a graduate of Saelm Hill High School, while Katoa prepped at Layton High School and Tufelle at Bingham High School. USC offensive lineman Toa Lobendahn’s father, Vince, played for Utah from 1990 through 1993. USC special teams quality control assistant Mike Tuiasosopo served as an assistant on the Utah staff in 2003. USC special teams coordinator/tight ends coach John Baxter is the son-in-law of former Utah coach Ron McBride.
Pregame quotable • Utah senior center Lo Falemaka: “We’re not going to let one game just completely ruin our confidence. I know were going to come back. I know we’re going to come back and beat USC. I think our confidence hasn’t dropped at all.”
Media guide nugget • Long snapper Jake Olson, who received national attention earlier this season when he played in the season opener, has been an inspirational story. He lost his eyesight to cancer but played football and golf in high school. He received a scholarship in 2015 from Swim With Mike’s Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund, and USC received a waiver so that his scholarship did not count against the NCAA limit of 85. Olson, who has a guide dog named Quebec, has co-authored two books.
Telling stat • The Utes have scored 14 touchdowns on 30 red zone possessions. USC has done a great job of keeping opponents off the board following turnovers.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes linebacker Kavika Luafatasaga (5) and Utah Utes defensive back Chase Hansen (22), bring down Stanford Cardinal running back Bryce Love (20) in PAC-12 football action, Utah Utes vs. Stanford Cardinals, at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Saturday, October 7, 2017.
Trojan offensive outlook • Six starters returned to the offense from last season including quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold finished last season 31 touchdown passes in 13 games (10 starts) and finished among the nation’s leaders in passing efficiency (ninth). Coming into this weekend, he’s 14-2 as a starter. One of those losses came to Utah last season. USC’s top rusher from last season, running back Ronald Jones II, returned this year. Jones, who has also sprinted for the USC track team, has three 100-yard rushing games this season and has at least one touchdown (rushing or receiving) in 12 consecutive games. Running back Aca’Cedric Ware, who rushed for 397 yards last season, also returned this season. USC had to replace its top two receivers from last season in JuJu Smith-Schuster and Darreus Rogers. Smith-Schuster left ranked fourth on USC’s all-time receptions lists. Junior Deontay Burnett, the team’s top returning receiver, leads the team with 41 catches for 527 yards and six touchdowns this season.
Trojan defensive outlook • Seven starters return from last year’s defense led by inside linebacker Cameron Smith, who started all 13 games last season and led the team with 83 tackles. Campus Insiders selected Smith to its Sophomore All-American team and Phil Steele selected Smith to his All-Pac-12 second team. Smith leads the team in tackles this season (46) and Is tied for the lead in tackles for a loss (six). The secondary is replacing cornerback Adoree Jackson. Jackson, a three-year starter, won Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. So far this season, Jack Jones has four interceptions and three pass break-ups through six games. Four players on this unit — redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Christian Rector, senior defensive tackle Josh Fatu, junior linebacker Porter Gustin and junior defensive tackle Rasheem Green — all have three sacks or more apiece. USC has 18 sacks this season.
Trojan special teams outlook • Chris Tilbey, an Australian, returns after he averaged 38.3 yards per punt last season. However, Reid Budrovich has handled punting duties this season. He has averaged 45 yards per punt with seven of 50 yards or more and eight downed inside the 20-yard line. Kicker Chase McGrath has made 8-of-9 field goals and all 27 point after tries this season. His longest field goal of the season has been 46 yards. USC doesn’t have a kick return or punt return touchdown this season, and they’re averaged 4.5 yards per punt return.
Injury report • USC: Linebacker Porter Gustin is not expected to play as he continues to rehab toe and biceps injuries, while defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu (back), right guard Viane Talamaivo (pectoral) and running back Stephen Carr (foot) are also expected to be out. Right tackle Chuma Edoga (ankle) and tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe (hip) are expected to play, but it’s unclear how much Imatorbhebhe will be able to play. Utah: Quarterback Tyler Huntley (shoulder) appears doubtful, though the Utes have labeled his status “day-to-day.” Kyle Fitts (leg/ankle) is questionable after he participated in warmups prior to last week’s game but did not play.
Three Big Questions
1. How will the Utes offense fare, and will Troy Williams remain at quarterback?
Williams completed 50 percent of his passes and threw a pair of interceptions in his first start of the season last Saturday. Utes coach Kyle Whittingham was leaving open the possibility all week that third-string quarterback Cooper Bateman could play against USC. Bateman, a graduate transfer, has not played this season.
2. Can the Utes’ defense pressure Sam Darnold and force him into turnovers?
Darnold has thrown as many interceptions through six games as he did all last season in 13 games. The Trojans’ offensive line has had several injuries and inexperienced players forced into playing major roles. The Utes could have both Bradlee Anae and Kyle Fitts back in the starting lineup after Anae played a limited role last week and Fitts did not play due to injury. If both are back in the rotation, the Utes will be able to use depth to wear down the Trojan line.
3. How well does the Utes’ revamped secondary hold up against one of the conference’s high-powered passing attacks?
The priority last week was on stopping Stanford running back Bryce Love. Now, the Utes will get a different test from Darnold. The Utes have not faced as highly-regarded a quarterback this season as Darnold. While Arizona’s Brandon Dawkins posed a dual-threat as a running quarterback, Darnold is a throw-first quarterback who can also run. He has completed 65 percent of his passes this season and averaged 284 passing yards per game. Darnold rushed for 250 yards last season, the most for a USC quarterback since 1991.
