Utah Football: 3 keys to victory vs. USC Trojans in Week 4

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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – NOVEMBER 11: Sean Harper Jr. #27 of the Washington State Cougars tackles Bryan Thompson #19 of the Utah Utes in the fourths quarter of the Cougars 33-25 win at Rice-Eccles Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images) /

2. Tyler Huntley must hit explosive plays

You won’t mistake the Utah offense for an explosive juggernaut, but the Utes do have some speed and some big-play ability. They need to hit on as many chunk and explosive plays as they possibly can.

USC knows what’s coming and Utah knows what they want to do, but they also want to keep the Trojan defense honest.

It makes sense to go run-heavy against the Trojans. You want to limit USC’s possessions and you also want to keep your defense fresh against the tempo the Trojans want to run. However, the Utes don’t want to allow USC to stack the box all game long either. It would be foolish for the Trojans not to as Utah isn’t a pass-based spread. They want to run, but if Utah can hit some down-field throws, USC would be forced to keep at least one safety back.

Utah does have the guys to do it. Brant Kuithe and Bryan Thompson are both averaging over 20 yards per reception. Thompson only has four catches this season, but two of them have went for touchdowns.

The Utes need to take their shots, and hit on some.

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