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@ USC – Fri Sept 20 7PM – FS1
The USC receivers are crazy talented, but didn’t have a lot of production last year (other than a few weird plays). Of course, I’m scared of them, but our secondary last year shut them down pretty well. I think this year’s soocenday is at least as good, likely better.
The USC DBs are more athletic than our WRs argument is also valid, but we completed a ton of big passes on them last year. (Not sure if they’ve had mch change n the secondary)
There are some obvious difference between this year and last I know, but we dominated that game and have most of those players back. I’m not saying I’m confident for tomorrow, mostly because I put too much mental stock into Utah football and feel the need to protect myself, but I certainly feel quite a bit better after watching last years game.
I’m not sure our dbs are better than last year. Blair is hard to replace.
Blackmon has a better eye for a safety though. He is much better at reading a QB in the pass IMO. Blair is a very good extra LBer and safety blitzer. Idk I feel like this team is better equipped for defending the pass. JJ is improved because he has aged another year is my assumption. Same as Guidry. Burgess has been in the position to make plays. Wilson the gunslinger threw right to him at times. Slovis is similar in that regard.
Losing Hansen and Barton is the biggest negative on this defense. Lloyd contrary to what some may think is very good. Bernard is playing his best football ever. Hard to measure it until after this USC game of course. These next two may end with more yards given up but generally speaking lead to a good showing by the defense overall.
Edit: Lewis is also better than Blackmon was at corner.
You rarely can say that when playing USC.
We have three of the four D linemen picked to lead the conference.
We have two all conference D backs and Guidry who is our fastest back.
We have an experienced senior QB.
We have an AA running back.
USC has better wide receivers than us, but ours are good.
we have a more solid coaching staff IMO.
So, yes on paper we should win this game.
Go Utes
Let’s play them on paper!
Good idea!
we should win every game on paper
Let’s play every game on paper!
There are several statistical models that say USC should win this game.
Lets not forget how insanely talented USC’s roster is. If the lights go on for those guys, Utah’s going to have to play a pitch perfect game to have a chance
Many things about the Utes favor a victory. Playing the devil for a minute on what could give USC a victory. Shooting from the couch based on history and outcomes against athletic teams. Some Captian Obvious material below.
1. Coach Whit for whatever reason historcally struggles to prepare his team mentally as the hunted vs. the hunter. This team seems different though.
2. WRs: Utah’s WRs are no match for USCs DBs. USC will man up and force Huntley and the WRs to make plays. WRs are a huge liability for Utah against athletic defenses (other than blocking maybe). Rest of the position groups Utah is either better or even. That is very impressive for Utah considering the talent USC recruits. I suspect Ludwig has a plan to maximize the WR talent he does have especially if the run game is working.
3. Turnovers…knocking on wood table the Utes got that out of the way last game. Utes need to be at least plus 2 in turnovers to win. Not sure Utes can win staying even or minus in turnover margin. Take away the two P6s at BYU, statistically overall the game was very even.
4. Posession War: USC will score points. If Utah stalls on drives and has to play catch up, USC will out score them. Utah needs to run the ball well and string long drives together.
5. Weak QB pressure: If the Slovis kid has time to sit back and sling it that will be a problem. I don’t think this will happen as he has yet to see a defense even close to Utahs in his football life. If he watched what the Ute defense did to the USC QBs last year…he will have happy feet.
I do think this is Utah’s year to get the away win at USC. Go Utes!
Regarding your 2nd point, one of their starting corners is likely out for the game.
USC also beats BYU on paper.
what about a thin layer of aluminum?
anyone like me old enough to have wasted hours on electric football. Looking back on it, it really sucked. It was impossible to pass and getting your runner to run the right way was always a challenge.
Beating your opponent on the scoreboard is what really counts.
I loved that game! Spent so many hours lining the players up and figuring out the perfect formation (usually a nice V formation was most effective).
don’t have any inside info, but for me the only question on Blackmon…
Which quarter will he get his pick-6? 😉
Wasn’t he held out of the Potato State game as just a precaution?
I heard somewhere that keeping him out of the Idaho State game was mostly precautionary and that he’d be back against USC.
He left in the 1st or 2nd quarter of the NIU game with what looked like a helmet to the shin bone. I’ve been hit before in the shin with a golf club and could barely walk, so I imagine if its a bad bruise he’ll be back.
Who hit you in the shin with a golf club?
My mother, lol.
Was showing her how to swing a club, stance whatever. Then my not paying attention combined with her not realizing the power of the swing went right under my knee into the bone.
It hurt, bled a lot, couldn’t walk on it with any power for like a day.
I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t play. I think Whitt making it seem up in the air is a bit of gamesmanship. Keep USC guessing who’s gonna be back there.
He’ll play.
I was told he sprained his knee on that collision with his leg and sat out as a precaution against NIU… should be g2g tomorrow
EDIT: My mistake, it wasn’t NIU he sat out. I meant Idaho State
He will be fine. Played the second half of NIU. Got the pick. I’m sure his knee is still sore but he won’t miss this game.
because of their top tier talent level that is always a threat to play to that talent level for just 1 game..and the PTSD from all 4 of our 4 trips to LA since joining the pac…what i worry about most is that Slovis goes full sean mannion and beats us by himself with completions even when the defense is perfect. Feels like he got his bad game out of the way and its more likely that he follows the game where his play fell well below his talent/ability with one that is well above his talent/ability. I keep thinking that if we are as good as we hope we are, this will be a win. But the one thing that I think could beat us even if we really are top 10/best team in the pac level is a lights out Slovis game. Ergo if Slovis plays less than great and we lose, I feel prett confident that it will mean we are not those things and none of this matters anyway
I agree that there’s historical reasons to worry, but I don’t think Slovis has proven anything that makes him this elite QB that will only have one bad game. JT Daniels and the Trojan defense won the game vs Fresno — not Slovis. He had one good game vs Stanford, who then turned around and got their doors blown off by UCF. He made a couple decent throws vs BYU, but also threw 3 critical interceptions, fumbled a few times, and couldn’t escape their pass rush.
I think the hype and worry about him comes from him playing for USC. If he played for Colorado, and did the exact same things the first three games (vs the same teams), we wouldn’t see him as much of a threat.
Not sure why you got a thumbs down for this…typical mindless fan(atic), I guess.
Slovis is a Freshman and his weaknesses were displayed against BYU’s defense. He’s not going to somehow become a different player over 1 week. I expect him to learn from his mistakes and be more cautious throwing the football over the middle of the field or forcing it into coverage. However, I don’t expect him to completely change his bad habits – especially telegraphing passes – in just one week. He may play better this week than last, but I seriously doubt he’ll have a spectacular game against our defense which is probably the best in the PAC.
A lot of talented but young/inexperienced players struggle on the road and play lights-out at home. That’s the concern. You say he’s not going to become a different player over 1 week, but he sure became a different player over the 1 week between the Stanford and BYU-P games. Unless you think BYU-P is a better team than Stanford, the only other explanation is the location of the two games.
I’d be much more comfortable if we were playing USC at home.
That’s fair, but I do believe BYU is a better defense than Stanford. I don’t think he changed significantly from week 2 to 3, BYU just played better defense. BYU definitely scouted Slovis and saw that he stared down receivers and made him pay, Standford D looked like they were on their heels all game. They also had very little film on him. Utah will be much better prepared.
Who is the difference maker on Friday? Apart from the coaches, where do have a big advantage?
@Tony: I can’t seem to edit the title.
Original title was supposed to be, “Difference: 2015 Wilson<Kessler, 2017 Williams<Darnold, 2019 Huntley>Slovis”
Cameron Smith>> Wilson
Smith had 3 picks for 122 and one TD. Yes Kessler had a fair game. But Wilson kept throwing to Smith who made great reads on him all game.
You can’t use the greater than and less than brackets in the title. Those are html brackets so they can’t be used. It’s to prevent hacking or messing up the site.
Good to know, @Tony. Modified my title.
Woot! It worked!
Not to plow old ground but the absence of Jared Norris and Siale Fakailoatonga was a killer in the 2015 game. Utah isn’t plucky this time around, there are some dudes out there.
Yeah, they started killing us with the quick sideline passes because we were missing Norris’ speed, that and those damn picks.
Having a better QB than them was the difference in 2018, too. Luckily for us, that QB is still our QB, and USC’s new QB just got exposed by TDS.
True freshman likely to start. Of course, in USC fashion, that true freshman is a 4 star kid who originally committed to Florida.
USC cornerback Isaac Taylor-Stuart is “questionable at best” for Friday night’s game, Clay Helton said. Freshman Chris Steele will likely start in his place.
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) September 19, 2019
Anyone know if Rector is playing?
Questionable according to Reddit, but he’s been in some interviews stating that he’s practicing.
Rector was a one man “recting crew” last year. His hip hop nickname should be TFL.
Sounds like he’s a go.
USC senior defensive end Christian Rector (ankle) did take part in practice. It seems he’ll be good to go for Utah on Friday.
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) September 17, 2019
