Game Breakdown: USC crumbles 47-24 as Utah wins Pac-12 Title

At first, it looked like USC came ready to put the game away early. Behind a stellar first quarter from quarterback Caleb Williams, the Trojans burst out to a 17-3 lead before forcing a fumble on Utah’s side of the field. With a chance to go up three scores it seemed as though the Trojans would pull away, but momentum shifted quickly. A series of miscues would lead USC to surrender possession back to the Utes without scoring, beginning what would be a rough remainder of the half for the team for Los Angeles.

Quarterback Cam Rising and his Utah team were able to string together two long drives to score touchdowns while USC’s offense sputtered, bringing the game to a tight 17-17 halftime score.

The troubles for USC’s offense mounted quickly as it became evident that Caleb Williams just wasn’t right, as the quarterback’s mobility looked noticeably limited and his ability to fire the ball accurately quickly faltered.

The Trojans had a brutal third quarter on offense as they failed to gain a single first down, allowing the Utes to hold a 7-point lead heading into the final quarter of play. Though the defense put up a solid fight for much of the third quarter, poor tackling allowed Utah to move the ball, most egregiously on a 57-yard touchdown given up on third-and-19.

Though a gritty drive from Williams finally brought USC back within striking distance in the early fourth quarter, poor tackling once again doomed USC as it gave up another long touchdown to put the Utes up 10 points with 10 minutes remaining.

As the final quarter rolled on, the wheels fell entirely off the bus for the Trojans (11-2) at last.

The team crumbled on both sides of the ball, with the defense giving up one long score after another and the offense sputtering as the line fell apart and Williams threw an ill-timed interception.

The devastation came in waves at the end. What had been just a 3-point deficit earlier in the quarter finished as one of 23 points at the game's closing with USC falling 47-24 — its dreams of a playoff berth snatched from underneath its nose.

1st Quarter

11:28—USC: Tahj Washington 2-yd pass from Caleb Williams (Denis Lynch kick), USC 7-0

6:10—Utah: Jadon Redding 25-yd FG, USC 7-3

2:52—USC: Raleek Brown 3-yd pass from Caleb Williams (Denis Lynch kick), USC 14-3

2nd Quarter

12:08—USC: Denis Lynch 20-yd FG, USC 17-3

3:55—Utah:

0:02—Utah: Jaylen Dixon 4-yd pass from Cameron Rising (Jadon Redding kick), 17-17

3rd Quarter

10:33—Utah: Money Parks 57-yd pass from Cameron Rising (Jadon Redding kick), Utah 24-17

4th Quarter

14:56—Utah: Jadon Redding 35-yd FG, Utah 27-17

10:52—USC: Mario Williams 12-yd pass from Caleb Williams (Denis Lynch kick), Utah 27-24

10:08—Utah: Thomas Yassmin 60-yd pass from Cameron Rising (Jadon Redding kick), Utah 34-24

5:29—Utah: Ja’Quinden Jackson 53-yd run (Jadon Redding missed kick), Utah 40-24

1:52—Utah: Micah Bernard 23-yd run (Jadon Redding kick), Utah 47-24

The inability to score after securing a fumble recovery on Utah's side of the field in the second quarter marked the swing in momentum that would never return to the Trojans' side. With the ball at the Utes' 39-yard line, the Trojans had a chance to go up 24-3. A lead that might have shut the door early and allowed USC to keep its collective foot steadily on Utah's throat. Instead, two runs for minimal gain and two poor passes by Williams led to a turnover on downs; setting the stage for two Utah touchdowns to end the half and tie the contest, turning this into a drastically different ballgame.

Caleb Williams will not look back upon his performance in this game with pleasure, but he took the Trojans as far as they got. He got off to a blistering start, dazzling both with his legs and arms to put the Trojans up 17-3 early in the game as he looked to be every bit the best player in college football.

He made what seemed like the tone-setting play of the night on a ridiculous 59-yard run in the first quarter, but at the end of that play the Trojans' fortunes turned as he suffered both a hand laceration and a hamstring pull — neither of which seemed like too big a deal at the time. However, those injuries helped to derail both his and the team's night, as an obviously limited Williams struggled mightily through the remaining quarters. He could hardly move, limping with every step while his passes clearly came off his injured hand just a little bit off.

After being unable to salvage a single score for the better part of two quarters, Williams gutted out the closing stages of the game with every ounce of strength left in his body. In the fourth quarter, Williams led a brilliant drive capped with a touchdown pass to bring USC back within 3 points despite the disastrous two quarters that preceded. However, the stumbles by the defense continued to bury USC, and soon the entire team fell apart around Williams as the injuries and mistakes piled up. Despite the ugliness of the ending, Williams battle to the end — fighting and clawing despite the relentless pounding he took through the final quarter. A late interception from Williams himself sealed the deal, closing any door left open for a Trojans victory. Battered and beaten, Williams still managed to finish the game with 363 passing yards and 3 touchdowns.

Mekhi Blackmon was solid in coverage and Tuli Tuipulotu largely played a good game, but this was such a disaster of an outing for the Trojan defense as a whole that I don't think I can single out a single player for this honor. The inability to tackle across the board cost this team a chance to win this game- even though the scheme put players in the right position to make a play all night long. Though the Trojans had chances to keep themselves in the game all the way into the 4th quarter, the wheels utterly and totally fell off the defense, allowing Utah to cruise to a comfortable victory when all was said and done.

Caleb Williams could hardly move in the second half of this game, limping badly as he struggled to take each step on the field. After the team had gone 0 for 7 to start the game, USC faced a critical third-and-6 on its own side of the field in the fourth quarter, down 10 points and desperately in need of any sign of life. When Williams dropped back, he found nowhere to throw the football, and in that split second he tucked it and began to sprint upfield with just one good leg under him, somehow willing himself for 15 yards and USC's first first down since the second quarter. Williams had hardly been able to walk from the sideline to his spot under center, and it was unfathomable for him to put the team on his back and take off in that moment. But he did exactly that to keep the Trojans' hopes alive, if only for a fading moment.

3 Simple Reasons:

1. Caleb Williams was hurt after the first quarter, and badly. The loss of his mobility greatly limited the playbook, handicapping the offense deeply on an evening when the offensive line had its worst showing of the year. Williams' decision making and accuracy both faltered after the injury, leading to mistakes and miscues that USC just couldn't afford as it tried to claw back into the game. The magic that he's able to create as an improvisor evaporated, making it near impossible for the Trojans to stay afloat.

2. The offensive line, as mentioned above, had its worst night of the year. The absence of Andrew Voorhees was always going to matter, but nobody expected the line to get embarrassed the way it did against a front seven that it handled so well in Week 6. The group struggled in protection, particularly on the edges where both offensive tackles were terrorized by Utah's pass rushers. USC couldn't generate any push in the run game at all for most of the night either, critically limiting the already-limited offense.

3. The tackling on defense was abysmal — by far the worst of USC's season. Their worst tackling game prior had been in the first matchup against the Utes, but Friday night's performance was far worse. Despite players being in position to make a stop on every single big play that Utah had on the night, USC's defenders were incapable of bringing down ball carriers. Time after time, the Utes broke free of long third downs and turned medium gains into field-stretching game changers thanks to the Trojans inability to tackle. Down the stretch, this is what ultimately doomed USC.

Passing:

Caleb Williams: 28/41, 363 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Rushing:

Austin Jones: 15 carries, 35 yards

Caleb Williams: 12 rushes for 21 yards (at least 50 yards of lost sack yardage)

Receiving:

Tahj Washington: 6 receptions, 93 yards, 1 TD

Jordan Addison: 5 receptions, 65 yards

Mario Williams: 3 receptions, 51 yards, 1 TD

Brenden Rice: 3 receptions, 42 yards

Austin Jones: 4 receptions, 40 yards

Kyle Ford: 2 receptions, 38 yards

Defense:

Max Williams: 12 tackles (8 solo), 1 forced fumble

Eric Gentry: 8 tackles (5 solo), 1 sack, 1 1/2 tackles for loss

Mekhi Blackmon: 6 tackles (3 solo), 1/2 tackle for loss, 1 pass breakup

Bryson Shaw: 5 tackles (2 solo), 2 pass breakups