SALT LAKE CITY — It gets tough to tell the difference each week what hostile environment No. 20-ranked USC will be sent to for a “critical” Pacific-12 Conference game. Every stadium seats around 50,000 and is close to sold out.
The really tough part is figuring out how legitimate each opponent is despite being ranked in the top 25.
USC won at Stanford, and with three losses the Cardinal do not look as imposing today.
Arizona was ranked in the top 10 but did not offer a defense of that quality.
Now comes No. 19 Utah (5-1, 2-1), capable of beating UCLA at the Rose Bowl but also losing to Washington State. The Utes could offer a quick response that USC is capable of beating Arizona but losing to Boston College.
The wrinkle Saturday night is the Utes’ defense, which leads the nation with 33 sacks. Defensive end Nate Orchard leads Utah with 10.5 — second-best in the nation.
“Utah plays a style unique to them,” Sarkisian said. “We need to be creative in our play calls to put our offensive line in the best position.”
That begs the question whether Sarkisian can be creative enough. USC finally opened up its offense last week against Colorado, but that was Colorado. It remains to be seen if Sarkisian trusts quarterback Cody Kessler against a better team and on the road.
“It’s the most important position in sports,” Sarkisian said this week. “We need (the quarterback) to play at a high level.”
Kessler’s stats are nearly perfect with 18 touchdown passes and only one interception. But until last week, there was a perception he and/or Sarkisian declined making risky passes or deep passes.
Sarkisian said he stressed to Kessler in recent weeks to be more daring and less conservative. Although he is viewed as personable, Sarkisian said he is a tough coach on quarterbacks and Kessler knows this because he was recruited by Washington.
“The beauty of Cody is you wouldn’t know today if he threw seven touchdowns or didn’t play great Saturday,” Sarkisian said. “He just brings a real workmanlike attitude every day he comes out on the field and loves being out here with his teammates.”
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is going with a different approach in recent games, alternating quarterbacks Travis Wilson and Kendal Thompson. Wilson has started all but one game and will start against USC.
But Whittingham has played Thompson the past two games and Thompson keyed the victory over UCLA.
“We’re waiting for somebody to separate and really take ownership of the position,” Whittingham said. “I’m not a two-quarterback-system fan. We would love for one of them to take ownership and be the guy.”
Sarkisian said he could never alternate quarterbacks.
“You find a guy and go with him until you have to change,” he said.
Whether a two-quarterback system can work will be proved tonight. The luxury for Utah is tailback Devontae Booker’s ability to take over a game.
In a sense, he is Utah’s version of USC tailback Javorius Allen. Booker averages 6.1 yards per carry to Allen’s 6.2.
“Devontae is a very physical runner. He runs hard,” Sarkisian said. “He’s not afraid of contact at all.
“They’ve always been very good on defense. They’ve always been very good on special teams. I think probably the biggest difference with Utah this season (is) they’ve found an identity in running the football that maybe they’d been searching for over the last few years.”
But the Trojans actually prefer that type of philosophy over the usual spread-offense approach.
“I like playing physical football,” USC defensive end Leonard Williams said. “I liked playing Stanford.”
That is why Thompson could be the wild card tonight because of his mobility. He is the team’s second-leading rusher and the haunting memories of Boston College quarterback Tyler Murphy will likely remain fresh with the Trojans all season.
If Wilson plays more, he will certainly be better than last year’s meeting, when a sprained finger limited him to 51 yards passing with two interceptions.
