The USC Trojans and Utah Utes have met a grand total of five times since the schools became Pac-12 rivals back in 2011. To say it’s been all Trojans would be quite the understatement with USC winning four of the five overall meetings and covering three of them against the spread. Kyle Whittingham’s squad will look to turn the tables on that ugly record under the Friday night lights when the South Division rivals square off in Week 4.
Watch this regular season Week 4 matchup live on Friday, September 23, 2016, at 9 p.m. ET at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
USC +1.5
Utah -1.5
Odds Analysis
Even though the Trojans enter this tilt the sub .500 team, early action has been on USC with Utah falling from a 2.5 point favorite at the open to a 1.5 point favorite hours after the betting lines first opened. Surprising considering Utah is 3-0 SU to start the season, but not really when you look at the opposition faced.
USC has already gone up against Alabama and Stanford, two teams ranked in the top-7 of the AP poll. The Utes on the other hand have played BYU, who they defeated 20-19 at home, as well as Southern Utah and San Jose State. With that, it’s safe to say astute gamblers got down on the Trojans early even though Utah went 6-1 SU at home last season.
Key Player
The Utes possess the nation’s No 18 ranked pass defense, but has been a bit more porous defending the run. Save for the game against Utah State, USC has been unable to get much going offensively. That comes off as a major disappointment when you factor in that the Trojans had nine returning starters on that side of the ball.
One that didn’t see much time on the field was senior Max Browne and he’s been extremely unimpressive through his first three games under center. While he’s completed 63.2 percent of his passes, they’ve only gone for 474 total yards and he owns a 2:2 TD/INT ratio. He must step up to the plate in a big way this evening if USC is to taste victory on the road for the first time in 2016.
Matchup to Watch
The Trojans have conceded an average of 195.3 rushing yards per game (No. 98) through the first three weeks. While Utah only averages 169.3 rushing yards per game (No. 69), it doesn’t stop trying as it’s run an average of just over 38 times per game. As bad as USC looks on paper against the run, it’s no doubt going to get a steady dose of the Utes ground attack in this one.
The defenses ability to withstand the onslaught will go a long way in determining whether the Trojans have a puncher’s chance in this one. Keep in mind, they won’t be dealing with Alabama’s studs or Heisman hopeful Christian McCaffrey in this one.
Free ATS Pick
The look of disgust on Clay Helton’s face at the end of the Stanford game was telling. He’s not happy with what’s going on in SoCal right now, and if he’s not happy, you can bet your bottom dollar the boosters aren’t happy either. It’s time this team put up or shut up. Utah is not the same team that took the Pac-12 by storm the last couple seasons. While BYU is a gritty opponent, the rest of the schedule has been weak and pales in comparison to what the Trojans have taken on.
Save for 2014 when the Trojans dropped a close 24-21 decision as 1 point road chalk, they’ve dominated this series. The schedule only gets tougher from here on out, so it’s now or never. USC cannot afford another loss if it plans on going to a halfway decent bowl game at the end of the year. Better Utah teams would have buried all three opponents heading into this game. They’re not as good as their 3-0 record while USC isn’t as bad as their 1-2 mark. Look for the Trojans to escape Salt Lake City with a slim hard fought victory.
College Football Odds: USC 24, Utah 20
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