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A strong case can be made that Saturday night's home game against USC is the weightiest for Utah since 2010, when the No. 6 Utes hosted ESPN's "College GameDay" and the No. 4 TCU Horned Frogs.

Now, as then, there is no limit on what Utah can achieve if they win.

Granted, they beat No. 5 Stanford last year. But they entered that game 3-2: heavy underdogs who only briefly shook the "beatable" label.

This time, they could really be the class of the Pac-12 South.

They could be contenders.

Or they could just as easily suffer the same type of wake-up call as they did in 2010 — another blackout game between ranked opponents that Utah fans would prefer to forget.

Utah has never looked so totally overmatched against the Trojans since joining the Pac-12, but they haven't beaten them, either.

Cause of loss:

• In 2011, a blocked last-second field goal.

• In 2012, USC's fourth-quarter surge.

• In 2013, total ineptitude from an offense that had only to do anything remotely positive for Utah to win.

This year's Trojans, in their first year under head coach Steve Sarkisian, again present some serious problems.

"They may be the most talented team in the conference," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said earlier this week.

Utah's defense will be hard-pressed to hold quarterback Cody Kessler, running back Javorius "Buck" Allen and wideout Nelson Agholor to 260 total yards, as they did last year at the Coliseum.

Kessler — a onetime Utah recruit who once visited campus on an unofficial visit, Whittingham said — passed for seven touchdowns last week against Colorado and has thrown just one interception in 223 attempts this season.

He was an outstanding high school basketball player, and it shows. Kessler makes quick reads and hits an open guy 70 percent of the time — be it Agholor, freshman Juju Smith or Allen, who has 290 receiving yards to go with 909 on the ground.

It's hard to imagine a scenario in which the Utes win without consistently pressuring Kessler, as they have Connor Halliday, Brett Hundley and Sean Mannion — especially with senior free safety Tevin Carter still looking doubtful, due to injury.

Thankfully for the Utes, USC is prone to pressure. Kessler has been sacked 16 times behind a young offensive line, and if "teams playing USC" counted, they'd be sixth in the nation in tackles for loss per game, at 8.1. Utah, first in the nation at tackles for loss per game, at 10.2, is surely licking its collective chops.

Further cause for hope: The Trojan defense has an ugly mark against it — allowing 452 rushing yards in a loss to Boston College — and Utah runs the ball better than any other opponent USC has faced.

But in those other games, the Trojans have been much stingier, conceding just 104 yards per game.

Utah's winning formula — to hand off to junior running back Devontae Booker until the score is in your favor, and then to hand off some more — will need a dash of downfield passing to keep a big, fast Trojan defense on its heels.

As much as ever, the difference might be the play of Utah's quarterbacks.

Travis Wilson and Adam Schulz were abysmal last year, combining to go 12 for 31 for 130 yards and three interceptions. Drops, injuries — they had their reasons.

But for the sky to remain the limit — for Utah's ambitions to include not only bowl eligibility, but a Pac-12 South title, a Pac-12 championship and a College Football Playoff berth — Wilson and backup Kendal Thompson almost certainly must do better. —

No. 20 USC at No. 19 Utah

O Kickoff • Saturday, 8 p.m.

TV • FOX Sports 1. Radio • 700 AM

Records • Utah (5-1, 2-1), USC (5-2, 4-1)

Series history • USC leads 9-3

Last meeting • USC won 19-3, Oct. 26, 2013

About the Utes • With five wins, the Utes are just one win away from qualifying for their first bowl game since 2011, and are above .500 in the Pac-12 for the first time ever.

About the Trojans • USC is ranked just No. 20, but with four conference wins may be the favorite in the Pac-12 South title race.