Utah's Win Over USC Causes More Chaos For The Trojans
USC took a late lead against Utah this past Saturday and it appeared a sense of relief had come over their entire sideline and fanbase.
The team was recovering from a blowout loss against Notre Dame the week prior, their defense is in shambles thanks to a coordinator their coach won't part ways with, and Lincoln Riley has been linked to the NFL. A win against Utah who beat them three times in a row would take some of the pressure off. Well, that is of course they held onto that lead.
Instead, Bryson Barnes who was playing with a moxie that most quarterbacks dream of having, led the Utes down the field making big play after big play. After a gutsy and ridiculously clutch 26-yard run on 2nd-and-15 with 16 seconds remaining, the Utes were in position for a game-winning field goal which Cole Becker drilled, winning 34-32.
The win preserved Utah's hopes for the season, while derailing pretty much everything USC was hoping to accomplish. The Trojans can still win the Pac-12, but the way in which this loss is being treated, their season may as well be over.
Caleb Williams is being advised to forgo the rest of the season, while Riley is under fire for having the same record as Clay Helton did through his first 22 games, and is also being berated for his treatment of the media. While this had all been stuff that was culminating over the past few weeks, it appears the loss to Utah really did a number to the program. How they respond moving forward is something that everyone is watching for.
