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SALT LAKE CITY — With 2:08 left to go in the game, Utah quarterback Travis Wilson performed what many thought was the impossible — a 73-yard drive capped off by a touchdown pass to receiver Kaelin Clay for the win over then-No. 20 USC.
The dramatic ending was the antithesis to what Utah’s offense embodied for much of the game Saturday, which featured two goal-line fumbles and a stagnant, conservative offense at times. The lack of production on offense and turnovers nearly cost Utah a chance at being bowl eligible for the first time in three seasons.
But Utah got the victory and is bowl eligible. The program also has a legitimate opportunity to claim the Pac-12 South Division title if it can make it through the gauntlet of Arizona State, Oregon, Stanford and Arizona — three of four teams ranked in the top 15.
The program is happy to sit at 6-1 in a season that many predicted would be extremely difficult to even become bowl eligible. If the Utes want to take their game to the next level, it has to get more production on the offensive side of the ball and eliminate critical turnovers.
“You can’t do that,” Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said following the game, speaking about the two fumbles on the goal line. “If you’re going to be a championship-caliber team, which everyone is striving to be, you can’t turn the ball over on the 1-yard line twice in one game. We’ve got to get that fixed. I’m not alluding to the fact that we’re a championship-caliber team — if you’re going to be one, where you want to go, that’s got to get fixed.”
“Things happen, you can’t really control that,” Wilson said. “It’s something we’ve got to correct as an offense because so far this year we’ve been doing a good job of taking care of the football.”
I'm very proud of Travis (Wilson). It's been a rough first half of the year for him. I know things haven't gone, for him, individually, as he would have hoped. But what a gutsy performance (Saturday) out of him. He hung in there and made some huge plays for us and ultimately the game-winner.
–Kyle Whittingham
The offense, however, has found a way to overcome its mistakes in its last three games, rallying in the fourth quarter or overtime against UCLA, Oregon State and now USC to secure a win.
Last season, Utah was good enough to compete with many of the teams in the Pac-12, but couldn’t find a way to close out games. Whittingham said after the USC game that the difference this year is mostly credited to a more-equipped talent base and overall depth, but said the offseason focus to closing out games has helped.
Utah’s win is also credited to a veteran Wilson, who overcame a rough few weeks and showed his ability to shake the distractions off and command an offense, particularly in a late-game situation and when the team desperately needed him. Wilson finished the night going 18-of-32 for 194 yards and a touchdown. He added 27 rushing yards, including a 18-yard run that set up the Utes for their game-winning score.
“I’m very proud of Travis (Wilson),” Whittingham said. “It’s been a rough first half of the year for him. I know things haven’t gone, for him, individually, as he would have hoped. But what a gutsy performance (Saturday) out of him. He hung in there and made some huge plays for us and ultimately the game-winner.
“We did sputter a little bit, but (Wilson) was playing pretty good,” Whittingham added. “You’re playing against an NFL front seven. Those guys are really good. … We knew it was going to be a tough sled against these guys.”
Wilson is the first to admit, though, that the offense has yet to play a complete game.
“I don’t think our offense played our best game yet,” he said. “But I definitely think we did a lot of great things in the passing game. I think a lot of guys caught a lot of balls and that definitely helped out today. We’ve still got a lot of improvements on offense, but this is definitely one to enjoy.”
Wilson was able to open up the playbook a little more than has been seen in recent weeks, finding tight end Westlee Tonga for some first downs against the Trojans. Tonga caught six passes for 71 yards, but his presence Saturday opened up a viable option that has been relatively absent all season.
Whatever the answer for Utah, the team has to improve on the offensive side of the ball before resuming the most difficult part of the schedule. If Utah can find a way to get more production, there is no reason Utah can’t compete in each game.
