This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
As long as the Utah Utes win their remaining four Pac-12 games, they won't care what USC does. But if the Utes lose sometime in November, they will need help from one of the Trojans' opponents to win the Pac-12 South title.
So the news that USC receiver Juju Smith-Schuster is expected to miss no more than one game following Monday's surgery on his fractured right hand is potentially significant. As the Utes know, he's USC's most dynamic offensive player, and the Trojans would suffer if he missed extended action. He caught eight passes for 143 yards and a touchdown against Utah.
Smith-Schuster may even recover soon enough to play Saturday vs. Arizona, which is remarkable. So is the fact he caught five passes in last week's 27-21 win over California, all after being injured on a kickoff return. USC's next two offensive plays were completions to Smith-Schuster, who stayed in the game as long as he could.
"He's always been one of the most unbelievable warriors I've ever been associated with," said USC interim coach Clay Helton. "He wants to be out there every snap."
Smith-Schuster leads the Trojans with 52 receptions for 956 yards and eight touchdowns. The team's No. 2 receiver with 19 catches is Adoree Jackson, who alternates between offense and defense. USC's November schedule includes Arizona, Colorado, Oregon and UCLA.
Disappointing 'Cats
Arizona could go from winning the Pac-12 South championship and playing in the Fiesta Bowl last season to staying home this year. Even having played the Pac-12's weakest nonconference schedule, the Wildcats (5-4) need a victory in one of their last three games at USC, vs. Utah and at Arizona State to become bowl-eligible.
The low point of the season came in last week's 49-3 loss at Washington, and the Wildcats are feeling the effects of playing 12 games without an open date. Their injury-riddled regular season ends Nov. 21.
"We're trying to do all we can to fix our problems," said coach Rich Rodriguez. "Some of them can't be fixed."
Star linebacker Scooby Wright's absence has cut into the heart of Arizona's defense, which ranks 11th in the Pac-12, allowing 453.6 yards. The Wildcats are last in pass-efficiency defense, having given up 280.1 yards and 21 touchdowns, while intercepting six passes.
Sophomore quarterback Anu Solomon has been injured enough to disrupt his season, and he 's now "pressing too much," Rodriguez said. So at this point, it would require an upset for Arizona to earn a sixth win.
"When adversity strikes, there are three things that happen; you either fight, flight or freeze," Rodriguez said during his weekly news conference. "We are going to fight. We will fight through the adversity. I don't think anyone will flee and I hope no one freezes. A lot of people tend to freeze in these situations, but we are going to fight through it."
Long, hot afternoon
Utah and Oregon State ran a combined 126 offensive plays Saturday, barely more than Colorado's number of snaps against UCLA. The Buffaloes had 58 passes and 56 runs, producing 556 yards in an unsuccessful effort to outlast UCLA in a 35-31 loss at the Rose Bowl.
"It was like nothing I've ever seen before," Mora said. "It was exhausting."
Part of the explanation was UCLA's scoring touchdowns via an interception return and an 82-yard run on a one-play possession, sending the defense back onto the field. Beyond that, Colorado just kept making first downs and extending drives, although its offense produced just 24 points.
"We felt like we controlled the game, but did not win the game," said coach Mike MacIntyre. "That did make it a little more frustrating."
Mora was impressed that his beaten-down defense managed to keep the Buffs from scoring on their last three possessions, enabling UCLA to overtake Colorado and stay ahead.
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Tribune Power Rankings: The Pac-12
1. Stanford (7-1) • Total score of past two meetings with Colorado: 96-7.
2. USC (5-3) • Last eight meetings vs. Arizona decided by seven or fewer points.
3. Utah (7-1) • Husky Stadium visit will leave Cal as only remaining traditional stop in Utes' Pac-12 era.
4. UCLA (6-2) • Jim Mora: 30-0 when Bruins lead at half.
5. Washington State (5-3) • Erik Powell tied school record with five field goals, but missed game-winning attempt against Stanford.
6. Oregon (5-3) • DB Charles Nelson: 15 tackles, 100-yard kickoff return vs. Arizona State.
7. Washington (4-4) • LB Travis Feeney: 4.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles vs. Arizona.
8. Arizona State (4-4) • Sun Devils' 742 total yards vs. Oregon is third-highest figure in school history.
9. California (5-3) • Bears, Ducks won't match their 100 combined points of last year.
10. Colorado (4-5) • Junior QB Sefo Liufau already holds school's career completion record (672).
11. Arizona (5-4) • Anu Solomon's interception-free streak ended at 232 attempts.
12. Oregon State (2-6) • Beavers have lost 17 of past 19 Pac-12 games.