Utah wins Pac-12 title, ends USC’s playoff hopes
12:20 AM ET Paolo UggettiESPN LAS VEGAS– The only acne in USC’s 11-win regular season had actually been a one-point loss to
Utah in October. Thanks to the Pac-12’s choice to turn its national championship into a matchup between its 2 best groups instead of division winners, the Trojans had an opportunity to make that loss moot and advance to their very first College Football Playoff appearance in Lincoln Riley’s very first season as head coach.But one imperfection developed into 2 on Friday night, as No. 11 Utah played spoiler and showed it has USC’s number this season.The Utes scored 24 straight
points at one point and went on to control No. 4 USC 47-24 to win their second straight Pac-12 title and most likely keep the Trojans
out of the 4th playoff spot.
“You come as far as this group has actually come and this program has can be found in the last 12 months, and clearly to not get it done, it’s a difficult pill to swallow,” Riley said after the game. “They were definitely the better team tonight. They deserved it.”
“Our players never stopped believing,” Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham stated. “We had a chip on our shoulder. We got the message loud and clear that people were ignoring us.”
In what felt like a tangential version of the match in between the groups previously this season, the Utes’ sluggish start did not hold them back. USC controlled the first quarter and raced to a 17-3 lead early thanks to a couple of more Heisman-worthy plays by quarterback Caleb Williams, who completed the game with 363 passing lawns, 21 hurrying yards, three goals and one interception.But all of it unraveled in a rush for USC. After managing a miraculous 59-yard run that had him gasping for air and walking gingerly, Williams never rather looked the same.Afterward, Riley stated that Williams “popped “his hamstring
on that long first-quarter run. “I asked him at one point, I resembled,’Are you 50 percent? ‘”Riley said.” And I imply, he was not even near to half. I certainly thought of taking him out. … He would not have let me. He would not even let me take him out at the end. “Riley called the efficiency one of the gutsiest he has actually seen. Williams, on the other hand, described the feeling of his injury as that of an old elastic band.”The remainder of the game I felt it,” Williams stated.
“However a person that I admire is Kobe [Bryant], and he constantly said the game is larger than what you’re feeling.”As Williams was nursing the injury, Utah was settling in. During the 2nd quarter, quarterback Cameron Increasing created two touchdown drives at the end of the half to connect the score at 17. In the 2nd half, it became clear Williams was injured. He favored his left side and was noticeably limping. He revealed some hesitation as he dropped back, and when the USC defense was on the field, he rode the stationary bike on the sideline to remain loose. At one point, backup quarterback Miller Moss grabbed his helmet and appeared to heat up, however Williams remained under center.Though Williams remained in the game, he was no longer the player that led among the most explosive offenses in the nation. Having actually been unable to establish
the run early, a hobbled Williams looked frozen in the pocket, and it all however sapped USC’s scoring prowess. Williams was uncharacteristically sacked four times, and his throws lacked the identify precision and strength they have had all season.The Utes took advantage. Whittingham stated postgame that Utah”smelled blood in the water”when the group observed Williams was injured in the 3rd quarter and made a concerted effort to bring more pressure.Utah not just pressured Williams
plenty, but on offense it went back to its most trusted choice against the USC defense: tight ends. Dalton Kincaid and Thomas Yassmin combined for 121 backyards, consisting of a 60-yard goal pass from Rising to Yassmin that pushed the lead back to 10 after USC had sufficed to 3 in the fourth quarter.By the time running back Ja’Quinden Jackson broke off a 53-yard touchdown go to put the Utes up by 16, the outcome was all but set in stone.” I felt we took it a little individual,” Rising stated.” We saw all that as disrespect. We wished to head out and show a point
.” Rising, a senior, finished with 310 yards passing to 6 receivers and 3 goals. He continued to have success versus USC and was
selected the game’s most important player postgame as the Utes as soon as again did what no other group could all season: outscore and outgain the Trojans. Utah ended up with 533 total backyards to USC’s 411. The Utes also finished with a title that Rising leaned into throughout the postgame ceremony:”Trojan killers.” The win sends the Utes back to the Rose Bowl. The Trojans, on the other hand, were left with not just two losses to the exact same team, but a hurt quarterback and no title to reveal for their turn-around season.”We’re not going to walk like this is some funeral service. We made a lot of development to get to this point
,”Riley stated. “Part of it is when you get to these moments, these huge games, is groups that have been there before. [Utah] definitely have. A lot of our group has not.”The prevailing belief from Riley after the game was that the Trojans had faced a group that not just outplayed them, however also had more experience. The Utes undoubtedly supply a stark contrast to USC’s roster makeup. The transfer website has defined Riley’s very first year at USC, and it appears that Utah’s connection is its strength.Yet as Riley debriefed on the loss and discussed preparing for USC’s championship game, he made certain to look ahead towards next season, when the Trojans may have some continuity however will not shy away from utilizing modification to get an edge.”There’s going to be a great deal of modifications. That’s college football in this day and age, “Riley said.”We know what our mission is– to be because very same locker room and feeling an entire helluva lot different than we do today. We’ll bring in a couple pieces who will help us on that journey.”