Five things we learned in usc's loss to utah


Five things we learned in usc's loss to utah

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Utah defeated USC, 24-21, on Saturday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Here are five things we learned in the Trojans’ loss. LESSON NOT LEARNED We thought USC learned its lesson. Time to think


again. Arizona State defeated USC on a Hail Mary as time expired. The Trojans survived Arizona after the Wildcats missed a field-goal attempt in the final seconds. And then, Utah beat them


with touchdown pass with eight seconds left. Is there a pattern here? This team – coaches and players – are unable to finish in the final minutes. FOURTH-DOWN DECISIONS USC was faced with


two fourth-and-short situations in Utah territory and, both times, Coach Steve Sarkisian elected to go for it. Both attempts failed. The first came in the second quarter on fourth and one at


Utah’s 27-yard line. The second came in the fourth quarter on fourth and two at Utah’s 28. Sarkisian said he wants to be aggressive. But what happened to the Trojans’ kicker? Andre Heidari


had been sidelined the last two games because of a groin injury, but he kicked extra points against Utah. Heidari has made six of eight field-goal attempts, including one from 53 yards.


Sarkisian has said he makes some decisions, including whether to go for it on fourth down, based on a gut feel. Maybe he should stop listening to his gut. SNAP ISSUE Center Max Tuerk


struggled to snap the ball consistently two weeks ago at Arizona. Sarkisian said the team had to adjust its snap count because of the crowd noise. Crowd noise rattled through speakers at


practice last week in preparation for the hostile environment at Rice-Eccles Stadium, but it proved little use. Tuerk’s snaps were erratic and quarterback Cody Kessler had to field many at


his feet. Kessler fumbled a crucial fourth-down snap in the second quarter. JACKSON’S TALENT SHINES Each week, cornerback Adoree’ Jackson adds to his resume and continues to prove why his


future is so bright. Jackson returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. As a cornerback he forced a Utah fumble on the Trojans’ 1-yard line to save a touchdown. CRAVING MORE Su’a Cravens


continues to prove why he has become one of the most exciting players to watch on defense. The safety-turned-linebacker sacked Utah quarterback Travis Wilson twice. There is often chatter


about when Cravens will return to safety, but his performances have made it apparent he can star in college at linebacker. _QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT USC? EMAIL ME AT [email protected] OR


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