This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

The news that USC football coach Steve Sarkisian was asked to take an indefinite leave of absence by athletic Pat Haden affects Utahns on multiple levels.  Sarkisian's personal issues are troubling to those who remember him as BYU's quarterback in the 14-1 season of 1996. As for the No. 4-ranked Utah Utes, the question becomes how the Trojans will respond immediately with offensive coordinator Clay Helton as interim coach. The Trojans will visit Notre Dame in Saturday, then host Utah on Oct. 24. Sarkisian presumably will miss both of those games, if not more of USC's season, although Haden did not specify any timetable in making the announcement Sunday.  The Trojans (3-2) lost 17-12 to Sarkisian's former Washington team on Thursday, after pounding Arizona State 42-14 on the road. They also lost at home to Stanford in Pac-12 play.  The Utes faced interim coach Ed Orgeron in October 2013 after Lane Kiffin's firing and lost 19-3 to USC in Los Angeles. Helton then was the Trojans' offensive coordinator. Since launching Pac-12 South play in 2011, the Utes are 1-3 vs. USC. They've faced Kiffin twice and Orgeron and Sarkisian once each, rallying to beat USC 24-21 at Rice-Eccles Stadium last October.  Sarkisian's issues apparently are alcohol-related. He was pulled off the stage during a booster event in August after making derogatory comments about USC opponents. Sarkisian attributed the incident to having mixed medication with a moderate amount of alcohol.  – Kurt Kragthorpe