Utah will be looking to get closer to Southern Cal in the Pac-12 South standings when the Utes play host to the Trojans at 8 p.m. ET Saturday. The Utes and Trojans have played close games recently and we could be in for another close contest.
USC's road trip to Utah could go down as the game that decides the Pac-12 South division. It pairs the Trojans, who are currently atop the divisional standings, against a Utes team that has played as well as any team in the conference over the past two weeks.
Can USC keep flashing the incredible talent like it did against Colorado? Receiver Michael Pittman emerged with 155 yards and two touchdowns. Or, will the Trojans struggle once again with consistency? In that same win over the Buffaloes in Week 7, USC disappeared in the second half and gave Colorado a glimpse of hope. For a leg up in the Pac-12 South race, this one shouldn't have any shortage of storylines.
Viewing information
Date: Saturday, Oct. 20 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium -- Salt Lake City, Utah
TV: Pac-12 Network | Stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Storylines
USC: The Trojans have gotten back on track with three straight wins, but as anyone who has stayed up late enough to watch will tell you, it's been an adventure. Now, they travel on the road to play in not only a tough environment, but against a team that is as hot as any in the Pac-12. This game has divisional implications, too. USC sits atop the Pac-12 South standings, but a loss in Salt Lake City would give the Utes a tiebreaker's advantage should it come to that.
Utah: Can the Utes keep it rolling? Suddenly, there's an abundance of offense. Utah has the second-best scoring average in the Pac-12 this month and leads the conference with 10 touchdowns. Quarterback Tyler Huntley has been an efficient machine, moving the ball at nearly 8 yards per play with four touchdowns in the past two games. Running back Zack Moss is a workhorse, too, at 617 yards and seven touchdowns.
Game prediction, picks
It's hard to know what you're going to get out of USC in any given game -- heck, any given quarter. But what we know is that the Trojans can't run the ball and are getting dangerously thin at linebacker now that Porter Gustin is out for the year with an ankle injury (Cameron Smith has also been hampered by a hamstring problem). That's bad news against Moss and this ground attack. Pick: Utah -6.5
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