Top performers from the Utah Utes 43-42 victory over USC
Despite allowing 14 unanswered points to begin the game, Utah battled all night long and pulled off a thrilling last second victory over No. 7 USC.
Led by the offense, Cameron Rising and Co. were in perfect form as they posted nearly 600 yards and 43 points en route to a historic victory at Rice Eccles Stadium.
5. Karene Reid
All season long, linebacker Karene Reid has been one of the most reliable defenders for the Utes, and against USC it was no different.
In addition to being the third-leading tackler for Utah, Reid also had a huge sack late in the third quarter that forced the Trojans to punt for one of the few times all night.
While the Utes did bring six up to the line of scrimmage, Reid exploded up the middle, laid out Travis Dye and proceeded to drag Caleb Williams to the ground for a loss of eight yards.
As demonstrated by this play, Reid is a phenomenal defender with one of the highest IQ's on the team. Lucky for Utah he's only a sophomore and has plenty of football left to play in Salt Lake City.
4. RJ Hubert
RJ Hubert's comeback season continues as the veteran safety yet again led the Utes in tackles and had some big plays along the way.
Arguably the most important of the night was the final play of the game where Hubert sprinted across the field, elevated and knocked the ball to the ground as the clock hit zero.
Was this ball really catchable and going to change the game? Probably not. But Hubert made sure there was absolutely no chance.
3. The offensive line
This one goes out to Utah's entire offensive line whose performance could easily be overlooked, but was critical in Utah's victory.
Coming into the contest, USC's defense was averaging 20 pressures and four sacks per game. Impressively, Utah only allowed eight pressures and not a single sack.
Simply put, the O-block did their job, allowed Rising to go to work, and did not receive enough credit for their performance.
2. Dalton Kincaid
Against the Trojans, tight end Dalton Kincaid was 16-16 on receptions for 234 yards, a touchdown and an absurd catch near the sideline.
What Utah fans witnessed on Saturday night was perhaps the most impressive performance by a tight end in program history, and one of the best in the history of the game. He was an unstoppable one-way train of offense that USC simply didn't have an answer for.
"The biggest thing that we didn't do a good job on with him was just tackle. Cam [Rising] made some really nice throws to him and he made some really phenomenal catches...But I think the biggest thing is that we did not do a good job tackling. We tried to hit him a lot instead of wrapping him up. The yards that he had after the catch really, really hurt us," USC head coach Lincoln Riley said post game.
Enjoy Kincaid while he's still in a Utah uniform because in less than a years time, he'll be one of the highest tight ends taken off the board in the 2023 draft.
1. Cameron Rising
Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) celebrates scoring a two-point conversation to take a one point lead against the USC Trojans in the final minute of the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Cameron Rising is not only the heart and soul of Utah's team but he really is that dude.
Against USC he went 29-43 for 415 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a team-high 60 yards rushing, three touchdowns and a two-point conversion to win the game.
While the Utes continue to battle and defend their Pac-12 title, Rising has the ability to lead Utah back to Pasadena in January. The question will be whether or not the defense will play well enough to compliment the offense through the final five games of the season.
Facebook - @FanNationAllUtes
Twitter - @FN_AllUtes
Instagram - @fannation_allutes
