Injury updates and key stats from USC's 42-24 win vs. Utah ...
C Toa Lobendahn suffered a knee injury in the first quarter. He said he felt something loose in his knee and came out as a precaution. He will have an MRI tomorrow and is hopeful he’ll be out for just a couple weeks.
S Marvell Tell suffered a clavicle injury
TE Taylor McNamara suffered a separated shoulder.
TE Tyler Petite suffered a foot injury.
DL Rasheem Green suffered a knee injury.
S John Plattenburg, who did not play, said he was sidelined because of stomach issues before the game.
TB Tre Madden (knee), WR Darreus Rogers (hamstring) and LT Chad Wheeler (concussion) did not play.
WR Steven Mitchell Jr. (ankle) remained out.
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USC improves to 4-3, (2-2 in Pac-12). The Trojans are in a three-way tie for second place in the Pac-12 South, one game behind Utah.
Clay Helton is the eighth consecutive USC head coach to win his first game at the Coliseum.
This is the first time an AP unranked USC team beat an AP top-3 ranked team since the Trojans defeated No. 2 Texas A&M, 20-0, in the 1975 Liberty Bowl on Dec. 22, 1975. The last time any USC team beat an opponent ranked AP No. 3 or higher, the No. 8 Trojans defeated No. 3 Michigan in the 2007 Rose Bowl (following 2006 season), 32-18.
USC is 11-2 all-time against AP No. 3 teams (7-0 in bowl games, 4-1 at home and 0-1 on the road).
USC’s 42 points are the most points Utah has surrendered this year (previous high was 24, USC had 28 at the half). It was USC’s most points in the series since its first win in the series, 51-0, in 1917.
Cody Kessler went 21 of 28 for 264 yards and a touchdown. (He did not throw an interception for the first time in four games.) He also had a rushing TD for the second game in a row.
JuJu Smith-Schuster surpassed 100 receiving yards for the seventh time of his career, fifth time this year (he’s done it in five of the past six games). He finished with 8 catches for 143 yards. (He said he was playing at about 90 percent because of an ailing quad.)
USC scored first for the seventh time in seven games this year and on its opening drive for the fourth time. Today was the first time the Trojans did not start the game with the ball.
Ronald Jones II’s second quarter 18-yard TD run was his fourth this year. He finished with a game-high 73 yards on a career-high 15 carries.
Justin Davis carried the ball a season-high 19 times for 66 yards. His first-quarter TD was his third this year. The 19 carries tied his carer high.
Cameron Smith’s 2 second-quarter and 1 fourth-quarter interceptions are the first three of his career and the 54-yard touchdown return on his second was the first of his career. (USC’s last touchdown off an interception was Anthony Sarao vs. UCLA last year). The last Trojan with 3 interceptions in a game was Jason Oliver vs. Penn State in 1991.
Su’a Cravens picked up his second interception of the season late in the fourth quarter. It was the ninth of his career.
The last time USC had 4 interceptions in a game was the first game of the 2014 season vs. Fresno State.
USC had four different players record a rushing touchdown (Ronald Jones, Justin Davis, Soma Vainuku and Cody Kessler) for the first time since four different Trojans scored on the ground at home against San Jose State on Sept. 5, 2009.
CB-WR Adoree’ Jackson’s 6 receptions were a career best.
USC held Utah’s Devontae Booker to a season-low 62 yards rushing. (He came in averaging 130.5 yards a game.)
USC held the advantage in time of possession, 34:50-25:10.
C Toa Lobendahn suffered a knee injury in the first quarter. He said he felt something loose in his knee and came out as a precaution. He will have an MRI tomorrow and is hopeful he’ll be out for just a couple weeks.
S Marvell Tell suffered a clavicle injury
TE Taylor McNamara suffered a separated shoulder.
TE Tyler Petite suffered a foot injury.
DL Rasheem Green suffered a knee injury.
S John Plattenburg, who did not play, said he was sidelined because of stomach issues before the game.
TB Tre Madden (knee), WR Darreus Rogers (hamstring) and LT Chad Wheeler (concussion) did not play.
WR Steven Mitchell Jr. (ankle) remained out.
***
USC improves to 4-3, (2-2 in Pac-12). The Trojans are in a three-way tie for second place in the Pac-12 South, one game behind Utah.
Clay Helton is the eighth consecutive USC head coach to win his first game at the Coliseum.
This is the first time an AP unranked USC team beat an AP top-3 ranked team since the Trojans defeated No. 2 Texas A&M, 20-0, in the 1975 Liberty Bowl on Dec. 22, 1975. The last time any USC team beat an opponent ranked AP No. 3 or higher, the No. 8 Trojans defeated No. 3 Michigan in the 2007 Rose Bowl (following 2006 season), 32-18.
USC is 11-2 all-time against AP No. 3 teams (7-0 in bowl games, 4-1 at home and 0-1 on the road).
USC’s 42 points are the most points Utah has surrendered this year (previous high was 24, USC had 28 at the half). It was USC’s most points in the series since its first win in the series, 51-0, in 1917.
Cody Kessler went 21 of 28 for 264 yards and a touchdown. (He did not throw an interception for the first time in four games.) He also had a rushing TD for the second game in a row.
JuJu Smith-Schuster surpassed 100 receiving yards for the seventh time of his career, fifth time this year (he’s done it in five of the past six games). He finished with 8 catches for 143 yards. (He said he was playing at about 90 percent because of an ailing quad.)
USC scored first for the seventh time in seven games this year and on its opening drive for the fourth time. Today was the first time the Trojans did not start the game with the ball.
Ronald Jones II’s second quarter 18-yard TD run was his fourth this year. He finished with a game-high 73 yards on a career-high 15 carries.
Justin Davis carried the ball a season-high 19 times for 66 yards. His first-quarter TD was his third this year. The 19 carries tied his carer high.
Cameron Smith’s 2 second-quarter and 1 fourth-quarter interceptions are the first three of his career and the 54-yard touchdown return on his second was the first of his career. (USC’s last touchdown off an interception was Anthony Sarao vs. UCLA last year). The last Trojan with 3 interceptions in a game was Jason Oliver vs. Penn State in 1991.
Su’a Cravens picked up his second interception of the season late in the fourth quarter. It was the ninth of his career.
The last time USC had 4 interceptions in a game was the first game of the 2014 season vs. Fresno State.
USC had four different players record a rushing touchdown (Ronald Jones, Justin Davis, Soma Vainuku and Cody Kessler) for the first time since four different Trojans scored on the ground at home against San Jose State on Sept. 5, 2009.
CB-WR Adoree’ Jackson’s 6 receptions were a career best.
USC held Utah’s Devontae Booker to a season-low 62 yards rushing. (He came in averaging 130.5 yards a game.)
USC held the advantage in time of possession, 34:50-25:10.
