A Pac-12 defensive coordinator called me Friday, so I asked him about the USC-Utah game. “I don’t think Utah will lose two straight games, especially when they are playing at home,” he said. Hmmm. Well, I’m throwing that out there before you make your pick. I’m making my pick later today. Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Before You Pick The Score

Here’s the USC-Pitt game in 1974. That’s Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett, of course. But who else is in the picture? No. 59 is freshman linebacker Mario Celotto. No. 49 is star safety Charles Phillips. No. 83 is three-time All-American Richard Wood. At the top looks like No. 92, nose guard Otha Bradley. The player about to make a tackle on Dorsett appears to be … Continue reading USC Friday Column Supplement

There’s a good news/bad news aspect to USC’s trip to Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday night. Here’s the bad news first: Utah has won 11 straight home games. Here’s the good news: USC was the last team to beat Utah at Rice-Eccles, a 33-17 victory. It’s a “dark mode” game, which means Utah fans have been asked to wear black Saturday. Utah was the first regular-season … Continue reading If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

I’m trying to figure out who to pick for the USC-Utah game. But I’d like to know if Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley is going to stubbornly play man-to-man defense like he did in 2019, when Matt Fink came off the bench to lead the Trojans to a 30-23 upset of the No. 10-ranked Utes. Fink just threw some passes up for grabs and Michael … Continue reading Who Wins USC-Utah? Depends On Utes’ Coaches

Lincoln Riley said today he “feels better” about linebacker Shane Lee’s progress from a hand injury but did not say if Lee would play against Utah. Riley said he “got out in front of it” when he said he expected Lee to play against Washington State. Riley said there was no specific reason for Austin Jones’ limited appearance vs. Washington State: “We left the game … Continue reading Thursdays With Lincoln Riley

I asked a USC coach on Wednesday night about what the Trojans must do this weekend. “We need to protect the quarterback better,” the coach said. “It’s not just the line. It’s everyone. But we need to be focused. We can’t have false starts because of the crowd. We got bothered (by the crowd) at Oregon State and this is supposed to be a lot … Continue reading Morning Buzz: What’s USC Need To Do In Utah?