USC Football: Utes’ Offense Taking Major Statistical Hit
USC enters Week 8 of their season against one of the biggest conference rivals in recent seasons.
The Trojans face off against the Utah Utes but their opponent won't be as formidable on offense as previous years due to two key injuries.
Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig is in his ninth season across two stints at Utah (his first was from 2005 to 2008), and this must be his toughest one yet. Neither quarterback Cam Rising (still recovering from a brutal knee injury suffered in the Rose Bowl) nor tight end Brant Kuithe (out since suffering a knee injury in September 2022) has played yet in 2023, and additional injuries have hit the Utes’ receiving and running back corps. Just this week, starting tight end Thomas Yassmin, who missed last week’s win vs. Cal, became the fourth Utah skill player to be ruled out for the season (others include running backs Micah Bernard and Chris Curry and wideout Mycah Pittman).With all these issues, it’s not shocking to see Utah buried at the bottom of most of the Pac-12’s offensive rankings – last in passing, pass efficiency, first downs gained, and total offense (322.2 yards per game); 11th in third-down conversions and scoring (21.7 points per game). The Utes rank fifth in the conference in rushing (172.7) after last week’s blowout and have been playing keep away from opponents’ offenses, by slowing their pace to a crawl (Utah leads the conference and ranks third nationally in time of possession).
Utah beat USC in both of their collective matchups last season but Rising's absence could prove beneficial for the Trojans in their upcoming clash.
The Men of Troy could use all the help they can get after their first loss of 2023 and this Pac-12 clash might get their season back on track.
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