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The sea of hands lifted Travis Wilson, and he was floating above them all, raising a finger to the sky and shouting with triumph.

Which was the dream? This embrace by the crowd of Utah fans who had stormed the field? Or the troublesome, restless weeks that had preceded this celebration?

No, this was Wilson's moment, one he had been waiting for all season.

With the game on the line, the California native struck down USC, the program that casts a shadow over the Pac-12 South, with a long run to the very edge of the end zone, then a throw — a throw, of all things — that gave Utah the 24-21 win.

The mass of riotous supporters lifting him up was simply a bonus. The real reward was playing a whole game for the first time since September, and having the trust and faith to make a throw the Utes practice every day.

"I definitely helped out today," Wilson said after the game, the eyeblack smudged from his face, but his smile unshakeable. "We still got a lot of improvements on offense, but this is definitely one to enjoy."

It's challenging and probably futile to fully capture the topsy-turvy nature of Wilson's last year — even the last four weeks. He's had football nearly taken from him. He's had to earn his starting job back twice. He watched as his back-up Kendal Thompson led Utah to a win over No. 8 UCLA, then the biggest win of the year for Utah.

But if any game stands a chance to trump that success, it's the one Utah seized Saturday night. Wilson was certainly not perfect in his first full game since a disheartening loss to Washington State, but good enough: 18 for 32, 194 yards, no interceptions, and one Trojan-toppling touchdown pass.

Kyle Whittingham didn't wait for reporters to ask about Wilson.

"I'm very proud of Travis, too, and I should single him out," he said. "It's been a rough first half of the year for him. I know things haven't gone as well individually as he might have hoped, but what a gutsy performance by him. He hung in there and made some huge plays for us, and ultimately the game-winner."

Westlee Tonga helped out Wilson plenty, catching six passes for 71 yards. Dres Anderson and Kenneth Scott made a few tough catches, particularly on the game's final 73-yard drive, that may help quiet some of the criticism flowing their way recently.

But Wilson called his own number on a scramble, one that went 18 yards to the very cusp of a win. After a Devontae Booker run was stopped, the Utes decided to use their final 12 seconds by putting the ball in Wilson's hands.

As the game-winning receiver said, it couldn't have gone any better.

"We executed it great, perfectly," Kaelin Clay said. "The other receivers did what they needed to do, and Travis threw a great ball."

In recent weeks, Whittingham continues to say he doesn't have a dual-quarterback situation, that he wants one of his passers to step up.

On Saturday night, it was Travis Wilson, six feet off the ground.

Kyle Goon

kgoon@sltrib.com Twitter: @kylegoon