10 things to know about Utah at USC


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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utes face another tough test this week as they look to put a disappointing loss to Arizona behind them, heading south to USC to take on the storied Trojan football program.

The last two weeks couldn't have been more of a roller coaster for the Utes, defeating the then No. 5 Stanford Cardinal two weeks ago, only to fall the next week to Arizona.

"We got off to a slow start in our game against Arizona, and although we played much better in the second half, it wasn't enough to pull out the victory," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said. "We are facing one of the most storied programs in the country this Saturday in USC and we fully anticipate that our players will bounce back and be ready to play the full 60 minutes vs. the Trojans."

Here are ten things you need to know to impress your friends as we count you down to kickoff:

  • Utah (4-3, 1-3 Pac-12) plays USC (4-3, 1-2 Pac-12) in Los Angeles on Saturday. Kickoff is 1:00 p.m. PT (2:00 p.m. MT) in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks. Radio is ESPN700 AM. Satellite radio is Sirius 134/XM 192.

Utah (4-3) at USC (4-3)
  • Utah Utes (4-3, 1-3 Pac-12) at USC Trojans (4-3, 1-2 Pac-12)
  • Date: Saturday, Oct. 26
  • Time: 1 p.m. PDT (2 p.m. MDT)
  • Site: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (93,607/Grass)
  • TV: Pac-12 Networks
  • Radio: ESPN700 AM, Sirius 134/XM 192
  • Series Record: USC leads 8-3
  • Last Meeting: 2012 (USC 38-28)
Series Snapshot
The Utes trail USC 8-3 and their only win in Los Angeles—where they trail 5-1—was back in 1916. Utah's first-ever Pac- 12 game was at USC in 2011 — a 23-14 loss that went down to the last play. Before then, the Utes had not played in the Coliseum since 1948. The teams are 1-1 in bowl games, with USC winning the 1993 Freedom Bowl and Utah capturing the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl.

  1. The USC defense is ranked in the Top 25 nationally in total and rushing defense, as well as in sacks and tackles for loss. Key Trojan defenders include OLBs Morgan Breslin (the 2012 Hendricks Award finalist) and Devon Kennard, DEs Leonard Williams and George Uko, LB Hayes Pullard, S Dion Bailey and S-CB Josh Shaw.
  2. Utah is 3-8 all-time against USC and just one of those wins—in the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl—has come since 1916.
  3. Ute linebacker Jared Norris was a high school teammate of USC quarterback Cody Kessler at Centennial High School in Bakersfield, Calif. Both are now sophomore starters. Norris is one of 34 Californians on Utah's roster. USC has 1 player from Utah (OG John Martinez of Cottonwood High in Salt Lake City). In its history, USC has had only 3 lettermen from Utah: RE Joe Davis (1940-42) of Bountiful, FB Stanley Havili (2006-10) of Salt Lake City and current OG John Martinez.
  4. USC has allowed just 14 points in the first quarter in 2013. It took until the fourth game of 2013 (Utah State) before USC's first team defense allowed a touchdown.
  5. USC is the only FBS school never to have had surnames on the back of its jerseys.
  6. Utah is 3-0 when it scores first and just 1-3 when the opponent is the first to put points on the board. The Utes have won 49 consecutive games when leading at halftime, which is the second-longest streak in the country behind Oregon.
  7. USC has claimed 11 national championships, while Utah's best national finish was No. 2 (A.P.) in 2008. The Utes finished No. 4 in the A.P. poll in 2004.
  8. On Sept. 29 (5 games into the 2013 season), Lane Kiffin was relieved of his duties as USC's head football coach. In his 4 years at USC, he was 28-15, but his Trojans had lost 7 of their last 11 games, including a 62-41 loss at Arizona State the day before his firing that left Troy with a 3-2 overall mark this season and 0-2 in Pac-12 play. Assistant head coach/recruiting coordinator/defensive line coach Ed Orgeron was named USC's interim head coach. This is Orgeron's 11th overall season at USC (1998-2004, 2010-13), including being on the staff of Troy's 2003 and 2004 national championship teams.
  9. Utah junior WR Dres Anderson is tied for first in the country in receptions of 50 yards or longer with five, while the Utes rank third nationally with 10 plays of 50+ yards

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