Utah at USC NCAA Football Picks 9/20/2019

Friday, September 20, 2019

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Tyler Huntley and the Utah Utes head to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday where they'll meet the USC Trojans. Utah opens this matchup as 3-point favorites. The total is set at 53.5. The Utes are 1-2-0 ATS and 1-2-0 when betting on the total. The Trojans are 2-1-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-2-0 against the spread.

Key Utah Utes Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key USC Trojans Injuries

09/15/19 DL Christian Rector Undisclosed is questionable Friday vs Utah
09/15/19 RB Vavae Malepeai Undisclosed is questionable Friday vs Utah
09/06/19 WR Bru McCoy Illness is out indefinitely
09/01/19 QB JT Daniels Knee is out for season
08/17/19 LB Solomon Tuliaupupu Foot is out for season

In their last game, the Utah Utes went up against the Idaho State Bengals and won 31-0. Zack Moss paced the team on the ground for that contest. He tore off a long run of 39 yards and he notched 1 TD for the game. He scurried for 106 yards via 10 carries which meant he was running for 10.6 yards per run. Bryan Thompson was the leader in receiving yardage by earning 105 yards on 2 receptions. He had an average of 52.5 yards per reception for that contest. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Utes was Tyler Huntley who went 15/19 with 282 yards passing and completed 3 touchdowns. He finished the game without throwing an interception. The Utah Utes rushed the ball a total of 36 times and earned 223 yards earning them an average of 6.2 yards per rushing attempt. On the day, they totaled 62 plays for 543 yards. On the day, the Utes racked up 22 first downs and they had a total of 11 infractions for 105 yards which shows us that this team didn't have their heads in this game. When it comes to their defensive performance, Utah allowed 10 completions on 23 throws totaling 80 yards, and a completion percentage of 43.5%. In the game, they conceded a total of 116 yards and forced 1 turnover. Against the run, the Utes allowed 36 yards on 25 attempts which gave the opponent an average of 1.4 yards per carry allowed.

The Utes head into this game 3-0 this year. For total yards, they rank 5th in the Pac-12 and 35th in Division 1 with 1,318 yards. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation averaging 32 points per game, ranking them 64th in Division 1. As a unit, they are averaging 226 rushing yards per game which is 2nd in the conference. The Utes have one of the best defenses in Division 1, allowing 9.7 points per game which has them at 2nd in the conference. When it comes to passing yards, the Utes have allowed 640 yards. Teams are completing 59.8% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 6.0 yards per attempt. In regard to yards on the ground, Utah is giving up 65 yards per game which has them at 1st in the conference and 7th in the country. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 2.7 yards per carry which has them at 1st in the Pac-12 and 22nd in the nation overall. Overall, they have allowed 195 yards rushing through 3 contests.

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In their last game, the USC Trojans went up against the BYU Cougars and took the defeat by a score of 30-27. Leading the way at QB for the Trojans was Kedon Slovis who went 24/34 with 281 yards through the air and tossed 2 touchdowns. He threw 3 picks on the day. Vavae Malepeai paced the team on the ground for the game. His longest run of the day went for 16 yards and he notched 1 TD for the game. He ran for 96 yards via 23 carries which had him averaging 4.2 yards per carry. Michael Pittman Jr. led the team in receiving yardage by earning 95 yards on 9 catches. He earned an average of 10.6 yards per catch for the game. The USC Trojans ran the ball 45 times and earned a total of 171 yards which gave them an average of 3.8 yards per rushing attempt. For the contest, the Trojans earned 22 1st downs and they had a total of 5 penalties for 44 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. In the game, they totaled 79 plays for a total of 452 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, USC gave up 21 catches on 34 attempts for a total of 299 yards, and a completion percentage of 61.8%. On the day, they gave up 430 yards and earned 0 takeaways. On the ground, the Trojans gave up 131 yards on 40 tries which means they allowed 3.3 yards per run allowed.

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The Trojans come into this matchup with a record of 2-1. USC is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 153.7 rushing yards per game, ranking them 80th in the country. As a team, they have compiled a total of 461 rushing yards through 3 games, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Trojans average 463.7 yards per contest overall putting them 36th in Division 1 and 3rd in the conference. The Trojans are allowing 24.3 points per game which puts them at 7th in the Pac-12 and 66th in the nation. In regard to points given up, they have given up 73 total points. In discussing rushing yards, they are conceding 145 yards per contest which puts them at 74th in the nation and 8th in the Pac-12. This season, they have allowed 435 yards rushing and 3 rushing TDs. Their passing defense is one of the middle of the road units in the country. They are conceding 264 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Trojans are ranked 8th in the Pac-12 Conference.

Who will win tonight's Utes/Trojans college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Utes -3

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