USC vs Utah Report Card 2016: Grading the Trojan Defense

USC vs Utah featured an outmatched Trojan defense, which failed to make the key stop needed to stop the Ute comeback attempt.

From the start USC’s defense struggled to contain the Utah offense led by new quarterback Troy Williams. And in the end they were helpless to prevent the game-winning touchdown in the closing seconds.

While giving up 456 yards of total offense, the nail in the coffin for the Trojans was Utah’s perfect four-of-four conversion rate on fourth down attempts.

SEE ALSO: Grading the Trojan Offense vs Utah

Here’s how each defensive unit graded out against the Utes:

Stevie Tu’ikolivatu had a career-high nine tackles, including a half-tackle for loss, against his former team. Rasheem Green contributed seven tackles and a forced fumble, which wasn’t recovered.

That was the good news on the stat front.

The bad news was the defensive line struggled to get penetration against the Utah front. There were no sacks on the day and the Utes rushed for 186 yards on 47 attempts, including two rushing touchdowns.

The worst of it? Utah attempted four fourth-down conversions  from one yard out and converted each with ease.

More good stat lines: Cameron Smith led all players with 15 sacks, added a tackle for loss, a forced fumble and a pass break up. Porter Gustin totaled 13 tackles and a tackle for loss.

That’s a lot of action for the two linebackers, but the stats can’t paper over a disappointing performance.

USC’s outside linebackers are relied upon to supply pressure but neither Gustin nor Uchenna Nwosu troubled Utah quarterback Troy Williams enough.

On the inside, Smith and Hutchings had trouble shedding blocks and while they racked up tackles, too many of those still resulted in positive plays for Utah.

Nwosu did offer some positives as perhaps the only Trojan to hurry Williams into a bad throw. He also made a shoestring tackle on the QB at the goal line and finished with 1.5 tackles for loss.

Adoree’ Jackson was once again the star of the secondary. He recovered a fumble, broke up a pass in the end zone and disrupted another long attempt toward Utah’s No. 1 receiver Tim Patrick.

Unfortunately, he also lost his shoe and gave up the game-winning score.

Iman Marshall was quiet for much of the night, but had a key deflection on the first play of the Ute’s final drive.

Unfortunately, it was his pass interference penalty on third down which extended that drive.

Neither Marvell Tell nor Leon McQuay came away with positive plays of significance while Ajene Harris was beat for the first of Williams’ touchdown throws.

For the second week in a row, Clancy Pendergast’s defense looked out of it’s depth against a physical rushing attack. Except this week the Trojans weren’t facing a Heisman trophy candidate.

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Pendergast’s decision to set his defense in a nickel package against a Ute offense which ran the ball consistently well was head-scratching, especially when that package included cornerback Jonathan Lockett rather than McQuay, the safety who had thrived there through three games.

If the concern was preventing Williams from hitting his receivers for long gains, it simply didn’t work.

And his answers to that rushing success by Utah on key fourth-and-short conversion attempts obviously were found wanting.

Though he ultimately used more substitutes than normal, a positive shift, the defense was gassed early and far from fresh when it mattered at the end of the game.