It’s going down on Saturday night in the Pac-12, as the Utah Utes will finally play their first game of 2020. Coming off a season in which they went 11-3 and finished inside the top-20 in the final rankings, the bar is set high. Their first test is a USC team that has gone 2-0 thus far.
Led by coach Clay Helton, the Trojans are looking good thus far. Both of their victories have been tight, but it shows their ability to close games out.
They beat Arizona State 28-27 in their opener before coming up with a 34-30 win against Arizona in their second game. 3-0 would look great for them, as it would keep them perfect at the halfway mark.
As mentioned, the Utes went 11-3 a season ago, ranking as the #16 team in the final AP poll. Kyle Whittingham’s team had one of the best defenses in the country.
They allowed just 15 points per game over the course of the entire season. They were #6 in that category. They’ve got a new starting QB as they look for some 2020 success.
ODDS: The spread for Saturday has the USC Trojans favored by three points. The over/under is set at 58.
Trojans Look to Make It Three in a Row
With wins over both Arizona schools, the next task will be a trip to Utah. Another close game will likely greet them here, as Utah is no pushover. They are dealing with another great opponent in the division. But they aren’t #20 in the country by some accident.
Led by QB Kedon Slovis, the offense has put up 64 points through two games. He has thrown for 706 yards and three touchdowns, with just one interception. They’re averaging 210 rushing yards per game thus far, absolutely dominating on the ground. That is something they’ll look to continue to do in this one.
The defense will need to be better. They need to make the opposing offense scared. They haven’t done that through these two contests.
Utes Hoping to Start on a High Note
The Utes will play just four games in 2020, so they need to make the most of their situation. Following this game, they’ll play Arizona State, Oregon State and then finish with Colorado. There is no time to waste, and probably not enough to have a serious claim inside the AP poll.
They’ll be turning to a new QB in Drew Lisk. He sat behind Tyler Huntley last year, though he did get a few reps. Lisk threw nine passes, completing seven of them for 78 yards. He ran the ball just two times for six yards. The sample size is small, but if he knows the system, he’ll be good to go.
They’ll miss Bradley Anae, who led the team with 13 sacks a year ago. The pass-rush will need to get pressure early and often on Slovis.
Utes Fall Short
The Trojans will keep things going in this one, getting their record to 3-0.
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