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SALT LAKE CITY — The game of football is often a release — an escape from reality — for those who play the sport.
While most see it as a form of entertainment — sometimes of the Greek tragedy variety when your team loses — it's a way to put aside the struggles of life for a few hours each weekend as a collective group of athletes work to outsmart, outplay and outcoach an opponent with the same goals and ambitions.
"When you get into a football game, you go into game mode and you go into a different state of mind," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said during his weekly press conference. "I would say that when a football player is in game mode, he blocks everything else out — just focus on what's going on."
For 60 minutes of actual game time, nothing else in the world matters.
For those within the University of Utah football program, football this season becomes a therapeutic endeavor. In a nine-month span, Utah has lost two teammates, with the loss of former teammate Aaron Lowe to a shooting at a private house party on Sept. 26 as the latest tragedy.
The game in which Lowe loved more than anything else is the place where Utah feels like it can move forward following his death — even if it's uncomfortable to deal with the grief amid an already trying season.
"What happened is terrible. It doesn't make sense; it still baffles me to this day just thinking about it," quarterback Cam Rising said. "Just trying to continue. It gets rough, but I think that's what Aaron would want, especially in this situation because he has always loved the University of Utah and just football here. He loves his team and we are just really playing for him now. That is the main focus for us right now."
Utah is playing for Lowe, as well as former teammate Ty Jordan.
And as difficult as the task may be to transition from tragedy to a game, Utah (2-2, 1-0 Pac-12) is doing its best in the lead-up to a road contest (6 p.m. MT, FOX) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to take on USC (3-2, 2-2 Pac-12).
When the football schedule is released each season, the USC game is circled on the calendar for Utah.
How could it not?
It's the game that often determines the likely winner of the Pac-12 South division — even if it is played early in the conference schedule.
The game often features added intensity and meaning, even though it's just one of nine conference games on the schedule each season. It's as close to a rivalry game as Utah has with any conference opponent in the decade since joining the Pac-12.
The quasi-rivalry game will be no less intense in 2021 as both programs work to overcome early-season struggles that have left the South favorites looking for answers more than anything else.
"I know they've dropped a couple ball games this year, but they're as talented as they ever are," Whittingham said. "And that's a high level of talent is what they have, and so we'll have our work cut out for us. It's on the road down in the Coliseum, which has been a brutal place for us to play — we haven't had a lot of success there, if any. We've got to prepare and get ready and move forward, which our team is ready to do."
'It means the world': Utah plans to retire No. 22 in memory of Ty Jordan, Aaron Lowe
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said Monday in his first public address since slain defensive back Aaron Lowe's death that no football player will wear the No. 22 again."SC, even though outside people have been saying they haven't lived up to expectations, they still play good ball," receiver Solomon Enis added. "Some areas, just like every team, everyone's gonna improve upon something, but they're still a solid team and plus we're gonna play them at home, which is always a good environment to play in."
While the tragedy of their teammates will still be fresh on their mind, the focus is all on USC. Nothing can change the past, but football can serve as the recipe the team needs to move forward as it honors Lowe and Jordan.
"We've been focusing on USC. Football has always been my peace, and for a number of players on this team it's the same," Rising said. "We are just focused on making sure we go down to the Coliseum and getting it done."
"Our guys know what it takes to win at this level," Whittingham added. "It's very challenging, and it's all encompassing. You've got to do things right all week long. You've got to eat, sleep, hydrate, practice, lift, study, film, there's so much to the process. If they get that, they understand that, and there really is no way around that regardless of circumstances."
Utah is still looking for answers to a lackluster offense that had seven fumbles in a win over Washington State ahead of the team's bye week and has failed to generate a consistent rhythm — regardless of circumstances.
But much like the team will be forced to do to overcome the tragedies of late, the on-field product will need to "trust the system," Enis said, and rely on each other in the good and bad times.
"I mean, football is not always going to be sunshine and rainbows," Enis said. "You have to work through the tough times at the university, and I think that's what the University of Utah's good at and that's what coach Whitt instills in us. I think we'll be straight. I think we're going to be good. We've just gotta lean on each other and trust the process."
