The Pac-12 is in the midst of a three-week stretch that will provide a great deal of clarity about the conference's true contenders and power rankings.
Last week, USC delivered an impressive 30-14 win over a good Washington State team to stay undefeated while fellow unbeaten UCLA delivered a statement-making 42-32 win over Utah. This week, the No. 7-ranked Trojans (6-0, 4-0 Pac-12) get their turn at the No. 20 Utes (4-2, 2-1) in Salt Lake City. And next week, as USC goes on its bye, its the Bruins on the road at Oregon in the game of the week.
Once the dust settles on all of that, we'll have a pretty good idea of how the Pac-12 race sets up for the final five weeks.
The Trojans can remain in total control of their own path, though, if they can keep it rolling Saturday on the road in what sets up as one of the top two remaining obstacles on the schedule.
The Utes, meanwhile, will be playing for their season when they host the Trojans at Rice-Eccles Stadium. A second conference loss would like render reigning Pac-12 champion Utah a longshot for a potential Pac-12 championship game return, but a win would totally open up the conference race.
Though UCLA did indeed appear to be the better team last Saturday, the Utes are undoubtedly one of the conference’s top teams, entirely capable of winning any week.
This will easily be USC's biggest test to date and might even prove to be its toughest matchup of the year depending on how things shake out. Utah is a 3.5-point favorite per the betting lines.
Beyond the conference implications, a win here would be huge for the Trojans' College Football Playoff hopes while a loss could stand to derail them entirely.
Those are the stakes Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Let's take a closer look at the matchup with the Utes ...
No. 20 Utah Utes (4-2, 2-1 Pac-12)
Coach: Kyle Whittingham (18th season, 147-72)
Stats/national ranks
Scoring offense: 40.3 PPG (15th)
Total offense: 457.8 YPG (32nd)
Scoring defense: 19 PPG (T-28th)
Total defense: 315.8 YPG (21st)
What the Utes do well: The Utes are typically known for their stout defense and dependable rushing attack, but this year’s squad is remarkably well-rounded across the board. Utah’s passing game is a legitimate force, with the talented Cam Rising starring at quarterback. Rising is a highly-capable dual-threat, throwing the ball with accuracy and composure while frequently creating plays with his legs as well. He and the Utah offense have mostly minimized turnovers -- 6 in 6 games with 2 coming in the loss to UCLA -- largely a result of the sound decision-making he’s shown with the football. Rising’s arm talent unlocks almost every throw on the field for the offense, allowing Utah to manipulate the entirety of the passing game.
With a talented group of pass-catchers headlined by an elite tight end in Dalton Kincaid (after losing another, Brant Kuithe to injury), the quarterback has had no trouble spreading the ball around. The Utes are throwing for a healthy 256.3 yards per game while completing 69.3% of passes.
All the while, the Utes have maintained their traditional competence in the ground game. Utah’s rushing attack has been highly-productive this year, running the ball for 201.5 yards per game behind consistently impressive play from its offensive line. Lead back Tavion Thomas has led the way, rushing for 386 yards and 5 scores while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Backups Micah Bernard and Jaylon Glover have both contributed significantly as well, with 333 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns combined. Rising plays a big role in the run game for Utah as well, as he’s taken off for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns while averaging a stellar 6.9 yards per carry.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Utah secondary is worth pointing out as a unit of real menace. They’re headlined by top-flight cornerback Clark Phillips III, who’s been one of the very best corners in the country through 6 weeks and will likely hear his name called early in the NFL draft. Behind him, R.J. Hubert has done a fantastic job of managing one of the safety positions for the Utes, racking up 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and a defensive touchdown already. As a whole, the Utah secondary has been stingy, giving up just 179.3 passing yards per game (18th-best nationally) and allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete just 57.3% of their passes on average.
