USC VS. UTAH IN PAC 12 FOOTBALL

Reasons why Southern California was only a 2 and one-point favorite came into evidence when it crumpled and stumbled and its dreams died in the desert while Utah just pushed forward on both ends of the ball to dominate this PAC 12 football championship game and knock Lincoln Riley’s hopefuls from the post-season Final Four to just a bowl game.

For the Utes, who back in October, pieced together a one-point thriller over the visiting Trojans in Salt Lake City, turned this one into an unprecedented no contest rout after trialing 17-3. From there, 11th-ranked Uah (10-3) had turned in 24 straight points in bullying USC, 47-24, for its second PAC 12 title in a row in the match-up at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas Saturday night.

The Utes already had a reservation for the Rose Bowl but Riley only envisioned his No. 4-ranked first-year at Southern Cal after leaving from the same role at University of Oklahoma. He brought his starting Sooners quarterback Caleb Williams with him and came into this test with Williams the top candidate to claim the Hesiman Trophy, but that, too, becomes another letdown after Utah left Williams with an early hamstring injury and was just chased throughout as he limped around until the final whistle.

“He was hurting,” Riley said, “and each time I wanted to take him out, he waved me off, but was sacked four times and intercepted twice, and Utah had the better signal-caller and just the more prepared team, so it no doubt deserved to celebrate, even as the “Trojan Killers.”

As for Utah, it just ran over tackles and right past linemen with the brutally and relentless of an angry group. Riley had a tough time keeping up and his side just committed messy plays that often turned into turnovers.

As for UTAH quarterback Cameron Rising, a 6-2 junior, he finished with 310 yards to six different receivers for a trio of touchdowns as he carried off Most Valuable Player game honors. Overall, the Utes of veteran head coach Kyle Whittingham ran and passed for 533 yards and added breakaway touchdown runs from sophomore Micah Bernard, senior Chris Curry, and freshman J.A. ‘Quinton Jackson, with Jackson doing so twice, and Rising also added a 69-yard touchdown pass to junior Chris Reed. Sophomore Jaden Redding converted all the PATs.

“I felt we took it a little personal,” said Rising, “we saw that as disrespect and wanted to go out and prove a point.”

As for Williams, he came away with passing yards, ran the ball for 21 yards, and accounted for three touchdowns and two interceptions, but it was the hurried Utah defense that had him rushing plays and being sacked. It all unraveled in a hurry for his team. After a miraculous 59-yard run that had him grasping for air and walking gingerly, No. 13 Williams never quite looked the same.

Said Wittingham, now in his 18th season and owner of a 118-21 overall record. “We simply smelled blood in the water when we noticed how much pressure we put on Williams, so we kept on coming, chasing him, interrupting him.”

Even though USC dominated the first quarter while Utah started slow, it was already 17-3 when the Utes took charge. The four rushing touchdowns and one through the air came against a Trojans’ defense that displayed poor tackling and these TD just went untouched once each one began.

“Regarding Williams, I asked him at one point how he felt,” Riley said, “like maybe even close to 50 percent. I definitely though about taking him out, but he wouldn’t let me. He wouldn’t even let me take him out at the end. It was one of the goutiest efforts I’d even seen, and he described the injury as that of and old rubber band.”

As Williams was nursing the injury, Utah was settling in. During the second quarter it put together two impressive touchdowns to knot the score at 17-all. It just got worse as the Utah had plenty to cheer and the USC faithful was totally disappointed, especially when Williams favored his left side and was visibly limping. He showed some hesitation as he dropped back, and when the Southern Cal defense was on the field trying to piece something together, he rode the stationary bike on the sidelines to stay loose.

Even as the back-up quarterback grabbed his helmet and appeared to warm up, Williams remained under center.

Now his team will remain eligible for a bowl game, but not the one it was hoping for. Now that moves Ohio State into the No. 4 spot and possibly joining Big Ten rival Michigan, the 2nd-seed behind No. 1 Georgia, with undefeated TCU as the No. 3 and third unbeaten team.

No. 4, good question, and should be decided Sunday. Maybe Alabama finding its way there with two losses? Maybe LSU?

As for this game itself, it was all over after punishing Utah had decided that.