5 Things: Utah 47, USC 24
In this Pac-12 Championship Game edition of 5 Things, WeAreSC’s Erik McKinney, Greg Katz and Marc Kulkin give their thoughts following Utah’s 47-24 win over USC on the Player of the Game, Play of the Game, Expectation Met, Surprise and Biggest Takeaway.
There’s also a bonus “Thing” included as they look at whether they would have pulled quarterback Caleb Williams from the game after he suffered a significant hamstring injury.
Player of the Game
No surprise, the selection is once again the Heisman Trophy frontrunner. A couple of Utah players are nominated. The Utes were the dominant team for long stretches of that game. But Williams was again impressive in defeat, and doing most of it on one leg. Williams completed 28-of-41 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns. He committed two turnovers in a game for the first time this season, including a game-clinching interception by the Utes.
Play of the Game
It was the longest USC running play of the season. And it likely killed any hopes of USC making the College Football Playoff. Williams was absolutely magical on his 59-yard run early in the game. But he “popped” his hamstring on the run, according to head coach Lincoln Riley. Williams and the Trojans weren’t the same after that. An offensive series a little bit later on gets a mention here as a critical miss by the USC offense. And a “what if” for the USC defense immediately turned into a “what was that” on the way to a Utah score.
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Expectation Met
Not a whole heck of a lot, from a panel that expected the same good USC team that beat UCLA and Notre Dame to take the field for this one. Utah was going to come to play in this one, and the Utes lived up to the game’s expectations on both sides of the ball.
Surprise
The USC offense fell apart for long stretches of the game. The stats were staggering. Yes, Williams was injured. But USC could get nothing done for long stretches. The Trojans had three third-quarter possessions and all three resulted in punts after going three and out.
Biggest Takeaway
Performance in a bowl game. The what-if of this game and what was at stake. Disappointment. The Trojans’ defense. Looking back at the season. A lot of ground is covered in the aftermath of this one.
