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USC Opens as an Underdog at Utah

Erik-McKinneyby: Erik McKinney10/09/22ErikTMcKinney
Utah USC Britain Covey
Utah Utes wide receiver Britain Covey (18) breaks free from USC Trojans safety Isaiah Pola-Mao (21) during a college football game between the Utah Utes and the USC Trojans on October 9, 2021, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The USC Trojans opened the week as underdogs for the first time this season as they prepare to head to Salt Lake City and take on the Utah Utes.

The Utes were favored by either three or four points, depending on the site, when betting lines were announced on Sunday. It’s an interesting number, considering Utah is coming off a loss to UCLA and the Trojans are sitting at 6-0 and ranked No. 6/7 in the country.

The Utes were also favored by three points against the Bruins when lines opened last week. The 42-32 loss in the Rose Bowl dropped the Utes from No. 11 to No. 19/20 in the Coaches/AP polls.

USC has done better against the spread this season compared to previous years. The Trojans beat the number in each of their first three games before falling short in wins against Oregon State and Arizona State. But the Trojans got back on track this past weekend against the Washington State Cougars, posting a 30-14 win.

The Preseason Game of the Year

Utah was voted the overwhelming preseason Pac-12 champions by the conference media. USC finished third in the voting, behind Oregon, but received the second-most first-place votes.

This game has been circled as a potential game of the year since August. It lost a little bit of its luster when Utah tripped up in Pasadena against a UCLA team that very much looks like a conference contender at this point.

But Rice-Eccles Stadium is sure to be rocking when the Utes and Trojans play this weekend. The teams are set to kick at 5 pm PT this Saturday evening.

USC is 6-0 this season, including 2-0 on the road. The Trojans began the year with a home win against Rice before beating Stanford in Palo Alto. USC then posted a lopsided win against Fresno State before gutting out a clutch win at Oregon State. The Trojans have settled in with two big wins against Arizona State and Washington State the past two weekends.

Utah started its season with a disappointing loss at Florida. The Utes then rolled to lopsided victories against Southern Utah, San Diego State, Arizona State and Oregon State. Utah then allowed 599 total yards and 28 second-half points in the loss to UCLA this past Saturday.

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Garry Paskwietz (1966-2019)

Garry Paskwietz was a pioneer in bringing team-specific sports coverage to the internet. He founded WeAreSC in 1998 and was an Emmy winner for his work with Fox Sports West. Always generous with his time, knowledge, and compassion, he touched the lives of countless USC and high school football fans.

Garry Paskwietz