Monson: Utah’s chance at history fades away

Utah defensive back Marquise Blair recovers a fumble for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Southern California in Los Angeles, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)

Los Angeles • In a historic building that has hosted two Olympics, two Super Bowls, a World Series, too many pro and college football games to count; a place that has seen great teams, great players, great games, great performances, and that has been the scene of presidential and papal visits, rock concerts and religious crusades, Utah football valiantly tried to put its own dent in that legacy on Saturday evening, and, alas, lost for the fourth time in four visits as a member of the Pac-12.

This time by the count of 28-27.

Strangely enough, Billy Graham, the noted preacher, holds the all-time attendance record at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, where he sent up prayers for the 134,254 people jammed into the place for his visit in 1963.

The Utes had a prayer here on Saturday, too.

When all was said and done, that beseeching clanked off the heavy night sky, as Utah fell short of its goal of dispatching the favorite in the Pac-12 South by way of beating Southern Cal, missing out on the achievement by the difference of a failed 2-point conversion try in the game’s closing seconds.

Kyle Whittingham deserves credit for having the onions to make that attempt, even when it might have been safer to tie with a standard PAT, and pray some more.

“The game could not have been any closer,” he said. “It came down to one play, in essence.”

In reality.

Sam Darnold went ahead and quarterbacked the Trojans to a victory that was, at times, difficult and, ultimately, decisive. He started slow and rolled forward through the second half, completing 27 of 50 passes for 358 yards and three touchdowns, extinguishing some of the hurt he felt from last season’s Utah win at Rice-Eccles Stadium in his first collegiate start.

He got help from a ground game that was productive against the heart of a Ute defense — a front seven known for slowing opponents’ running attacks. Led by Ronald Jones and his 111 yards, the Trojans kept the defense worried enough to open things up for Darnold’s passing.

On the flip side, Utah’s offense, which sputtered a week ago in its loss to Stanford, regained some life, but not enough to triumph in this place against this team. Troy Williams, as expected despite some grumbling from certain corners, started the game in place of the still-injured Tyler Huntley. Williams, who played so brilliantly in victory a year ago in Salt Lake City, could not regain that kind of sustained success this time around.

He made some big plays early, but, as the quarters churned by, he could not maintain those plays. He hit 16 of 27 passes for 262 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He spread the ball around — to nine different receivers. But star target Darren Carrington only got two catches for nine yards.

The Utah run game had its chance here to do some damage, as USC’s defense had been susceptible to getting bowled over in past tests, and Zack Moss did some bowling, gaining 141 yards.

Turnovers helped Utah in the early going, with Darnold fumbling twice, one of which was picked up by Marquise Blair and returned for an 18-yard touchdown. By the end of the first half, the Utes were up 21-7, and appeared to be capable of taking control of the Pac-12 South.

Even when USC seized the momentum in the second half, scoring its three touchdowns, the Utes fought back on that final drive, showing great resolve to make their own version of history.

It did not, would not happen.

And on account of that, Utah’s hopes for a divisional title and a slot in the Pac-12 championship game got a whole lot more challenging, with tough games yet to play, falling further behind You-Know-Who, the team whose home and comfort zone is in an historic venue, an opponent against which every team in the South measures itself.

GORDON MONSON hosts “The Big Show” with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone.