The biggest thing for USC to be concerned about vs Utah (other than Dalton Kincaid)
The USC Trojans have to pay attention to Dalton Kincaid in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Kincaid torched them for 16 catches and 234 yards on October 15 in the first meeting between these teams this season.
Yet, if there’s a bigger overall concern for USC — something which transcends a particular Utah player or a specific set of tactics — it is the larger question of how much energy USC brings to this game.
That might seem weird, even dumb: Of course USC will play with energy. It’s a conference championship game for the College Football Playoff. Of course the Trojans will be excited. They won’t run out of energy.
Maybe … but we have to look at how each team is entering this game.
USC just played UCLA and Notre Dame, two emotionally draining games which form the high point of every Trojan football season, especially when Notre Dame comes to Los Angeles in late November and these two huge games are back-to-back on the schedule.
Utah, on the other hand, just played Colorado. One team had some mentally draining and physically taxing games. The other team just played Colorado.
Keep in mind that USC played Cal and Colorado before it played UCLA and Notre Dame. The Trojans were able to win without overextending themselves. Utah could now benefit from that same dynamic. USC is on a short week (Utah is too, of course), after having played tough games. The Trojans could run out of steam midway through the second half. They really need to focus so that they maintain a high level of energy throughout this game.
Here’s more at The Voice of College Football:
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Utah's journey in 2022: unbeaten at home, unsteady on the road, successful vs USC
