NCAAF: USC in Disarray, but Favored Over Utah
The USC Trojans have already been upset at home by Stanford and Washington, while Utah crushed Oregon 62-20 as a 10.5-point road underdog in Week 4. The USC Trojans are sitting at 3-3 and have fired their head coach. However the USC Trojans are 3-point home favorites for Saturday’s Pac-12 matchup with the No. 3 Utah Utes, who are undefeated at 6-0. The matchup at the Coliseum in scheduled for 7:30 PM ET and will be broadcasted on FOX.
Utah comes into this game with one of the top defenses in the FBS. The Utes defense is creating turnovers and is one of four teams leading the nation with 13 interceptions. Last year’s matchup saw the Utes beat the Trojans 24-21 as 1-point home dogs. Despite Utah’s success, turnovers are fickle, and not everyone is sold on quarterback Travis Wilson, who ranks No. 50 in the FBS in passer rating at 140.45. Utah is physical, efficient and fundamentally sound in all phases of the game. The Utes are exactly the kind of opponent USC struggles with.
USC has played a tougher schedule thus far, but the Trojans have already lost twice as home favorites, to Stanford and Washington.USC quarterback Cody Kessler has been picked off twice in consecutive games for the first time in his career. Kessler was third in the county in completion percentage through four games, but that has changed in back-to-back losses. Kessler completed just 61.3 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and four interceptions against Washington and Notre Dame. USC could be without receivers Darreus Rogers and Steven Mitchell Jr., who missed practice this week with injuries. The Trojans already lost starting center Max Tuerk and could also be without tackle Chad Wheeler, who was experiencing concussion-like symptoms, putting even more strain on the USC passing attack.
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